The ‘Kapparot’ Jewish Atonement Ceremony

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – SEPTEMBER 27: (ISRAEL OUT) An Ultra Orthodox Jewish boy smokes a cigarette during the Kaparot ceremony on September 27, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel. It is believed that the Jewish ritual, which involves swinging a live chicken above one’s head, transfers the sins of the past year to the chicken, which is then slaughtered and traditionally given to the poor. It is performed before the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, the most important day in the Jewish calendar, which this year will start on sunset on September 29. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)