Who cares what the UN thinks, anyway? Here in America, Yom Kippur is still a party day. One of those many days on our calendar where you get to hang out with your friends and eat good. And drink and be merry, of course. Like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Saint Patrick’s Day, Cinco De Mayo, Easter, Halloween, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Day and even Quanza. We Americans have come up with plenty of “holiday” excuses to take the day off from work and have a good time.
Sorry to interrupt your ignorance, but to Jews, Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of the year. AND, it is a fast day. Nothing passes your lips but prayer for 25 hours. Hanging out, drinking and being merry are about the farthest things possible for Yom Kippur. To equate Yom Kippur with any of the days on your list---like Martin Luther King Day--is offensive.