SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Photo: Orthodox Jewish plane passenger covered in plastic
Apr 12, 2013, 2:17 PM | Updated: 3:11 pm
Plane passengers took photos of this man, who appears to be an Orthodox Jewish man covering himself in plastic to avoid impurities while flying over graveyards. (Photo courtesy of Reddit user FinalSay)
(Photo courtesy of Reddit user FinalSay)
Reddit user FinalSay posted a photo of an unusual-looking airplane passenger that has gone viral and taught us about a little-known travel practice: using plastic to protect purity.
The Daily Mail explained that the man, appearing to be an Orthodox Jew, might be Kohein, a descendant of a group of priests in ancient Israel.
According to other articles, Kohanim men must not be in contact with the dead. Since they can never know if they are flying over a cemetery, some have taken to wrapping themselves in plastic during plane rides to avoid contracting impurities.
