Besides not eating, what else is prohibited on Yom Kippur?

Here's what you need to know

On Yom Kippur, several activities are prohibited in addition to eating and drinking. These include washing, bathing, applying lotions, oils and perfume, wearing leather shoes, and marital relations.

The specific rule is

On Yom Kippur, you should refrain from eating, drinking, washing or bathing (including showering), applying lotions, oils, perfumes or colognes, wearing leather shoes, and engaging in marital relations.

Background

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and spiritual focus, and these prohibitions help to elevate the day beyond physical concerns. The prohibitions are derived from the Torah and rabbinic teachings, which emphasize affliction of the soul as a form of spiritual cleansing. The restriction on washing targets washing for comfort or pleasure. Washing that meets a ritual or practical need is still permitted: on rising in the morning, after using the bathroom, or to remove actual dirt. In those cases the water goes only as far as the finger joints, rather than over the whole hand to the wrist as it would on an ordinary day. Similarly, the prohibition on wearing leather shoes is symbolic of humility and self-denial.

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