Seudah Hamafsekes
After Minchah, eat the seudah hamafsekes.
Only eat foods that are easy to digest (see above). In addition to garlic and eggs, men refrain from eating dairy and spicy foods.
Make sure to finish eating before shekiah. If you finished eating the seudah hamafsekes early and wish to continue eating or drinking later, stipulate before bentching (at least mentally) that you plan on doing so.
Blessing Children
Before leaving to shul, it is customary for fathers to bless their children (with Birchas Kohanim).
Lighting Candles
When bentching licht, women and girls say the berachos of Lehadlik Ner Shel Yom Hakippurim and Shehecheyanu. Married men light a 24-hour candle in shul. Those with a parent who has passed light an additional yahrzeit licht at home (which will also be used for havdalah after Yom Kippur, as explained below).
Additionally, a night light or the like should remain lit in a married couple’s bedroom.
Final Preparations
Some have the custom to immerse in the mikvah once again before shekiah.
Before shekiah, replace leather shoes with non-leather footwear. Married men put on a kittel and a tallis (in the same way as before Shacharis), making the berachah of lehis’atef betzitzis.
If you did not put on the tallis before shekiah, put it on afterward without a berachah.
When visiting the restroom, both the tallis, (gartel) and kittel should be removed.
From shekiah and onward, after visiting the restroom, only wash your hands until your knuckles.
