Yom Kippur and Sukkos

This year Yom Kippur is Wednesday evening, Oct. 1, through Thursday night, Oct. 2.
Sukkos begins this year on Monday evening, Oct. 6.

Here are a few of the many laws. Please consult your Orthodox rabbi for more details.

• On the morning before Yom Kippur, we omit the “Mizmor Lesodah” paragraph in the morning prayer.
• Early in the morning before Yom Kippur (or if necessary, the night or days before), we do the “Kapparos” custom of waving chickens over our heads and saying a special prayer for our sins to be atoned. The chickens are slaughtered, and we go on to live long and eternal life.
• The custom is to eat “Kreplach” at the final meal before Yom Kippur. These are triangular dumplings made of dough with meat inside. Besides for this small amount of meat, one should not eat red meat on the day before Yom Kippur, rather one should eat chicken.
• Men should not eat eggs or garlic on the day before Yom Kippur.
• Before Yom Kippur, one should light a candle that lasts 26 hours, and do the Havdalah ceremony at the end of Yom Kippur using that candle.
• After Yom Kippur, one should start building the Sukkah.
• The Sukkah should ideally have four walls.
• The walls should be hard and sturdy, not curtains.
• The Schach (covering) should be raw plant materials that are not foods and that have not been made into anything. For example, bamboo mats that were not made specifically to be Sukkah coverings (from Home Depot etc.) should not be used. Even the older bamboo mats that were made to be Sukkah coverings may contain string and should not be used; only the newer kind should be used.
• Every day of Sukkos, except Shabbos, we shake the Lulav and Esrog.