On yer bike – it’s Yom Kippur!

The holiest day of the year in the Jewish Calendar and all you can see is packs of kids on their bikes teeming through city streets (vehicles, except for emergency vehicles, are rarely seen on the roads during Yom Kippur). The whole country might shut down for 25 hours but for the youngsters (and the bike shops that are crazily busy in the run up to Yom Kippur) it’s paradise.

Some might argue that riding a bike on Yom Kippur takes away from the solemness of the day, but generally kids under 13 (Bar or Bat Mitzvah age) aren’t obligated to fast and pray, so it’s become accepted practice for the kids to take to the streets with whatever wheels they can get their hands on.

Some might also argue that if you want to get a glimpse of the future nation of Israeli drivers, take a look at how these kids are driving on the streets. It makes for some scary viewing…

Of course, it’s also become picture opportunity time as empty roads and motorways (except for the packs of kids) make for an eerie setting – check out our Yom Kippur pictures for a taste of what the roads are like in Israel during these holy 25 hours.