Kapparot is a Jewish ritual in which a person holds a chicken over their head and swings it in a circle three times while praying for atonement. The fowl are then donated to the poor for food. It is a traditional ceremony performed between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The intention is that the fowl will take on any misfortune that might otherwise occur to the one who has taken part in the ritual, in punishment for his or her sins.
Recently, a court in Petach Tikva, Israel, ruled that kapparot violated the country’s animal welfare laws. Rabbinical law does permit an alternative though. Money may be substituted for the bird which is subsequently also donated to charity.
For more information on kapparot, please visit The Jewish Virtual Library.
