Yom Kippur 2027 begins at sundown on Sunday, October 10, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Monday, October 11, 2027. The name means “Day of Atonement,” and the day is marked by a fast of about 25 hours.
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, described by Hebcal as “the holiest day of the year in Judaism.” It closes the ten Days of Awe that open with Rosh Hashanah, and it is kept with a fast, five prayer services, and four other restrictions that have nothing to do with food.
Two questions come up every year. The first is when it starts, because the fast begins at sundown the evening before the date on the calendar. The second is what to say, because the usual holiday greetings do not fit a fast day: Chabad states plainly that “it is not standard to wish someone a ‘happy Yom Kippur.'”
This page covers the dates through 2030, the fast and who is excused from it, the services, and the right greetings. For the full calendar, see our Jewish Holidays guide.
Table of Contents
When is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur 2027 begins at sundown on Sunday, October 10, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Monday, October 11, 2027. The holiday always falls on 10 Tishrei, nine days after Rosh Hashanah, but the Gregorian date moves each year. The table lists the dates published by Hebcal.
| Year | Begins at sundown | Ends at nightfall | Hebrew year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 | Monday, September 21, 2026 | 5787 |
| 2027 | Sunday, October 10, 2027 | Monday, October 11, 2027 | 5788 |
| 2028 | Friday, September 29, 2028 | Saturday, September 30, 2028 | 5789 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, September 18, 2029 | Wednesday, September 19, 2029 | 5790 |
| 2030 | Sunday, October 6, 2030 | Monday, October 7, 2030 | 5791 |
In 2028, Yom Kippur falls on a Saturday, so the fast day and Shabbat coincide. In 2027 it falls on a Monday, which means Kol Nidre services are held on Sunday evening, October 10.
When does Yom Kippur start and end in 2027?
The fast runs from sundown on Sunday, October 10, 2027, to nightfall on Monday, October 11, 2027. Chabad describes the timing as running “from sundown on the eve of the holiday until the following nightfall.” Exact clock times depend on location, so use a local candle-lighting time rather than a national one.
| Stage | 2027 |
|---|---|
| Erev Yom Kippur, pre-fast meal | Sunday, October 10, 2027, before sundown |
| Fast begins, candle lighting | Sunday, October 10, 2027, at sundown |
| Kol Nidre service | Sunday evening, October 10, 2027 |
| Yom Kippur day and services | Monday, October 11, 2027 |
| Neilah, the closing service | Late afternoon, Monday, October 11, 2027 |
| Fast ends | Monday, October 11, 2027, at nightfall |
How long is the Yom Kippur fast?
Sources put the fast at about 25 to 26 hours, because it starts before sundown and ends after nightfall the next day.
Hebcal describes a 25-hour fast, while Chabad describes the observance as lasting “nearly twenty-six hours.” The gap is the extra time added at each end rather than a disagreement about the day itself.
| Source | Stated length |
|---|---|
| Hebcal | 25-hour fast |
| Chabad | “nearly twenty-six hours” |
What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year, given over to repentance, prayer and fasting.
Hebcal describes it as centering on “atonement and repentance” and as the conclusion of the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.
Chabad quotes the verse behind the day: “For on this day He will forgive you, to purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins,” and notes that instead of the meals of other holidays, “our time is spent in prayer to G‑d.”
My Jewish Learning calls it “the culmination of the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe).”
Yom Kippur vs Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah opens the Days of Awe with festive meals, and Yom Kippur closes them with a fast. The table compares the two High Holidays.
| Attribute | Rosh Hashanah | Yom Kippur |
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew date | 1 to 2 Tishrei | 10 Tishrei |
| 2027 dates | Sundown Friday, October 1 to nightfall Sunday, October 3 | Sundown Sunday, October 10 to nightfall Monday, October 11 |
| Length | 2 days | 1 day |
| Food | Festive meals, apples and honey | Fast of about 25 hours |
| Shofar | Blown on both mornings, except on Shabbat | One blast at the end of Neilah |
| Standard greeting | Shana tovah | G’mar chatimah tovah, tzom kal |
The Yom Kippur fast and the five prohibitions
Yom Kippur has five prohibitions, and only the first involves food. Chabad’s overview of Yom Kippur laws lists them.
| Prohibition | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 1 | “Eating or drinking” |
| 2 | “Wearing leather footwear” |
| 3 | “Bathing or washing” |
| 4 | “Applying ointment, lotions, or creams” |
| 5 | “Engaging in any form of spousal intimacy” |
The fast covers both food and drink, including water. My Jewish Learning notes that the practices also extend to habits such as brushing teeth and using perfume.
Who does not fast on Yom Kippur?
Children, people who are ill, and those whose health would be at risk are not expected to fast. My Jewish Learning states that “females over the age of 12 and males over the age of 13 are to abstain from food or beverage for the duration of the holiday,” that “children under the age of nine are not allowed to fast,” and that “if a doctor asserts that fasting could endanger your health, you need not fast.”
| Group | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Children under 9 | Not allowed to fast |
| Ages 9 to 12 or 13 | Learn gradually, by postponing meals |
| Girls from 12, boys from 13 | Expected to fast |
| Pregnant or nursing | “Explicitly exempted from fasting” |
| Ill, or advised by a doctor | Need not fast; daily medication should be taken |
Reform Judaism notes that fasting can be harmful for people recovering from an eating disorder and points them to a meditation written for those who do not fast. Anyone with a medical condition should ask a doctor before fasting rather than decide alone.
The meal before the fast and the break fast
The fast is bracketed by two meals: a large meal before sundown and a break fast after nightfall. In 2027, the pre-fast meal is eaten on Sunday afternoon, October 10, and the fast is broken after nightfall on Monday, October 11.
My Jewish Learning adds that someone who must eat on Yom Kippur for health reasons should take “very small quantities, smaller than the size of a date, pausing between each piece.”
Yom Kippur services: Kol Nidre and Neilah
Yom Kippur opens with Kol Nidre and closes with Neilah, a service held only on this day. My Jewish Learning describes the opening: “Yom Kippur is ushered in while it is still light out with a powerful and ancient prayer called Kol Nidrei (All Vows).”
The same source describes Neilah as “a unique and emotionally powerful service,” and lists the day’s services as the evening Maariv, the morning Shacharit, the additional Musaf, and the afternoon Mincha, with Neilah last.
| Service | When, in 2027 |
|---|---|
| Kol Nidre and Maariv | Sunday evening, October 10, 2027 |
| Shacharit | Monday morning, October 11, 2027 |
| Musaf | Monday, late morning |
| Mincha | Monday afternoon |
| Neilah | Monday, late afternoon, ending at nightfall |
The day ends with a single blast of the shofar, the same instrument sounded through Rosh Hashanah.
Yom Kippur greetings: what to say
The standard greeting is “g’mar chatimah tovah,” which means “a good final sealing,” and “tzom kal,” which means “easy fast.” My Jewish Learning gives the pronunciations and the timing for each.
| Greeting | Pronunciation | Meaning | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| G’mar chatimah tovah | gih-MAR chah-tee-MAH toe-VAH | A good final sealing | “in the run-up to Yom Kippur, and in the early hours of the fast itself” |
| G’mar tov | Not given | Short form of the above | Same |
| Tzom kal | tzome kahl | Easy fast | “in the days preceding the fast or just as it’s beginning” |
| Shanah tovah | Not given | Good year | A catch-all for the whole High Holiday season, per Chabad |
| Have an easy fast | Not applicable | English version of tzom kal | Before the fast |
| Have a meaningful fast | Not applicable | English alternative | Before or on the day |
Should you say “Happy Yom Kippur”?
No. Chabad states that “it is not standard to wish someone a ‘happy Yom Kippur,’ but it is perfectly acceptable to wish them a meaningful one.”
Yom Kippur is a solemn fast day rather than a celebration, so “have an easy fast” or “have a meaningful fast” lands better in English. If you are not Jewish and want one phrase, “g’mar chatimah tovah” before the fast is correct and appreciated.
One greeting sources disagree about
Sources differ on whether “chag sameach,” meaning “happy holiday,” belongs on Yom Kippur. My Jewish Learning lists it among generic greetings used on the day. Reform Judaism states that it is “used only on the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.”
| Source | Is “chag sameach” right for Yom Kippur? |
|---|---|
| My Jewish Learning | Yes, listed among generic holiday greetings |
| Reform Judaism | No, reserved for Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot |
| Chabad | Recommends g’mar chatimah tovah and an easy fast |
Is Yom Kippur a public holiday?
Yom Kippur is not a United States federal holiday. The federal list runs to 11 days and Christmas Day is the only religious holiday on it, so federal offices, banks and post offices stay open unless the date falls on a weekend.
In 2027, Yom Kippur is a Monday, a normal working day for most people in the United States.
| Year | Day of the week | Federal holiday? |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, September 21, 2026 | No |
| 2027 | Monday, October 11, 2027 | No |
| 2028 | Saturday, September 30, 2028 | No |
In Israel the picture is different: Yom Kippur is a public holiday, and broadcasting, public transport and commerce close for the day.
What Yom Kippur is not
Yom Kippur is not the Yom Kippur War, the 1973 conflict that takes its name from the holiday it began on. It is not Rosh Hashanah, which falls nine days earlier and is marked with meals rather than a fast.
It is also not a festival in the sense that Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot are, which is why the greeting “chag sameach” fits those three and sits awkwardly here.
Finally, the fast is not a test of endurance to be kept at any cost: My Jewish Learning states that if a doctor says fasting could endanger your health, you need not fast.
Frequently asked questions
When is Yom Kippur 2027?
Yom Kippur 2027 begins at sundown on Sunday, October 10, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Monday, October 11, 2027, according to Hebcal. The Hebrew date is 10 Tishrei 5788. Kol Nidre services are held on the Sunday evening, and the fast runs through Monday until nightfall.
What does Yom Kippur mean?
Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew. Hebcal describes it as the holiest day of the year in Judaism, centered on atonement and repentance, and as the conclusion of the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah. Chabad quotes the verse that the day exists to “purify you, that you be cleansed from all your sins.”
How long is the Yom Kippur fast?
The fast lasts about 25 hours, running from sundown on the eve of Yom Kippur to nightfall the following day. Hebcal describes a 25-hour fast, while Chabad puts the observance at “nearly twenty-six hours,” since it begins before sundown and ends after nightfall. In 2027 it runs from Sunday evening, October 10 to Monday night, October 11.
What do you say on Yom Kippur?
Say “g’mar chatimah tovah,” pronounced gih-MAR chah-tee-MAH toe-VAH, which means “a good final sealing,” or “tzom kal,” meaning “easy fast,” according to My Jewish Learning. In English, “have an easy fast” or “have a meaningful fast” both work. Chabad notes that it is not standard to wish someone a happy Yom Kippur.
Who is exempt from fasting on Yom Kippur?
Children under nine are not allowed to fast, and girls under 12 and boys under 13 build up gradually, according to My Jewish Learning. Reform Judaism states that people who are pregnant or nursing are explicitly exempted. Anyone whose doctor says fasting could endanger their health should not fast and should take daily medication as usual.
Is Yom Kippur a federal holiday?
No. Yom Kippur is not a United States federal holiday, so federal offices, banks and post offices operate normally. The federal calendar has 11 holidays and Christmas is the only religious one among them. In Israel, by contrast, Yom Kippur is a public holiday and commerce, broadcasting and public transport shut down.
What are the five prohibitions of Yom Kippur?
Chabad lists eating or drinking, wearing leather footwear, bathing or washing, applying ointment, lotions or creams, and spousal intimacy. Only the first concerns food, which is why the day is described as an affliction of the body rather than a fast alone. The restrictions run from sundown to nightfall the next day.
Sources:
- Hebcal: Yom Kippur
- Chabad: What Is Yom Kippur?
- Chabad: An Overview of Yom Kippur Laws
- Chabad: What Is the Yom Kippur Greeting?
- My Jewish Learning: Yom Kippur 101
- My Jewish Learning: Yom Kippur Fasting, The Details
- My Jewish Learning: How to Greet Someone on Yom Kippur
- Reform Judaism: Your Guide to Fasting (or Not) on Yom Kippur
- Reform Judaism: What Greetings Are Appropriate on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur?
