White clothing is traditionally worn on Yom Kippur.
White symbolizes purity, repentance, and the hope that sins will be cleansed. The custom also recalls the biblical High Priest’s white linen garments, which he wore during the Yom Kippur Temple service. Another traditional explanation compares worshipers in white with angels, who are imagined as wearing white garments.
In many Ashkenazi communities, married men wear a white robe called a kittel during Yom Kippur prayers. The kittel may also be associated with wedding clothing and burial shrouds, giving it themes of renewal, humility, mortality, and equality before God.
White is customary rather than a universal dress requirement. Practices differ among Jewish communities, and people may simply wear clean, festive clothing. The color should not be confused with Yom Kippur’s other restrictions, such as fasting and avoiding leather footwear; those observances are distinct from the clothing custom.