220px, A kittel A ''kittel'' ( ) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by some religious

Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium CE. They traditionally speak Yiddish, a language ...

on holidays, in the

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

or at home when leading the Passover seder. Grooms sometimes wear kittels. It is also customary for Jews to be buried in a kittel, at which time it is referred to as a tachrichim.

History

In Ashkenazic tradition, married men wear a kittel in the synagogue on Yom Kippur. In less-traditional synagogues, religious Jews—both men and women—wear a kittel. Some wear a ''kittel'' when leading the Passover Seder. In some communities, the hazzan wears a kittel on the first night of Selichot, on Hoshana Rabbah or the seventh day of the Jewish holiday of

Sukkot Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israelite ...

, the musaf prayers of Shemini Atzeret and the first day of Passover, where the Geshem (prayers for rain or dew) are recited. In some communities, a bridegroom wears a ''kittel'' on his

wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...

day. In some communities, it is known by the Western Yiddish term ''sargenes'', related to the Old French '' serge'' as well as Latin ''sericum''. The sargenes is worn like a tachrichim, covering the head and face.

Symbolism

As a tachrichim or burial shroud, the kittel signifies simple attire that assures equality for all in death. Because Jewish law dictates that the dead are buried without anything else in the coffin other than simple linen clothes, a kittel has no pockets. The wearing of a kittel on the High Holidays is symbolically linked to its use as tachrichim and to the verse "our sins shall be made as white as snow" (). The white color is said to symbolize purity, which partly explains its use during weddings. It is also felt to signify unity with the

bride A bride is a woman who is about to be married or who is a newlywed. When marrying, if the bride's future spouse is a man, he is usually referred to as the ''bridegroom'' or just ''groom''. In Western culture, a bride may be attended by a maid, ...

(who also wears white) and the beginning of a new life together. Another reason it is worn at the wedding is because it has no pockets, showing that the couple is marrying for love, not for what they possess.

References

{{High Holidays Bereavement in Judaism Jewish religious clothing Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Yiddish words and phrases Jewish ritual objects Yiddish words and phrases in Jewish law