Yesterday evening driving to the optician Anna noticed all the folks wearing white and wondered what was happening. At first I was stumped, looking for ghosts lurking down Robertson. Silly me - it's Yom Kippur, and those my dear child are people of the Jewish/Hebrew faith leaving temple on the highest of their holy days.
Mom, what does that mean? And what is Yom Kippur?

As most of you may understand I am card carrying atheist with great respect for the world's religions and mostly just a google search level worth of knowledge. So, I stumbled into this discussion hoping to come out with a semblance of parental integrity. Please be gentle with your judgements, after all I was driving at the time.

My attempt:
Yom Kippur is the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar. People who believe: fast from sunset the day before to sunset the day of, pray, go to temple, atone for their sins, are forgiven by God, and then they celebrate with a big meal.
It's a lot like Easter is for Christians - fasting, praying, asking forgiveness for your sins, being forgiven by God, and then celebrating with a big feast.
Anna's questions - my responses:
What's atoning - asking for forgiveness
What's a sin - doing something wrong according to God's rules. Lying, punching someone, not respecting your mom, those kinds of things.
What's a fast - no eating. Only drinking water, I think.
Anna's conclusions:
Mom if you can't eat for 24 hours, I would never make it. And I ask forgiveness all the time of Santa Claus so I can receive his gifts.

Well Sweety, I think they have special rules for kids. And as for the forgiveness of Santa - it's important, but there are people who believe that the gift of heaven or the chance of hell, maybe more important than Christmas gifts or the possibility of coal in your stocking.

Which then lead to the discussion of what really happens when you die. I handled it biologically.