Two candles are typically lit on the Sabbath, representing the dual commandments to remember and observe the Sabbath. This tradition is a common practice in Jewish households to mark the beginning of the day of rest.

Havdalah typically takes place around nightfall on Saturday evening to mark the end of the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat). The exact time can vary depending on location and time of year, but it is usually within an hour after sunset.

Yes, Shabbat is celebrated every week in Judaism. It begins on Friday evening at sundown and lasts until Saturday evening at sundown. It is a day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation, involving prayer, family meals, and refraining from work and certain activities.

The Jewish day of rest is called the Sabbath, and it begins on Friday evening at sundown and lasts until Saturday evening at sundown. It is observed as a time of rest and worship.

Jewish Shabbat is celebrated from Friday evening until Saturday night. It begins with the lighting of candles and reciting blessings. Observant Jews refrain from work, light fires, use technology, and engage in commerce during this time. Families gather for festive meals and prayers on Friday night and Saturday, often attending synagogue services. Shabbat is considered a day of rest and spiritual rejuvenation.

Wine has always had an important role in religious observance for Jews and Jewish religious law is very strict in regard to producing and handling wine. One of the core laws is that unpasteurized wine that has been handled by non-Jews cannot be used by Jews. The reason behind this is that other religions also used wine in religious rites and any item used by another religion cannot be used in Jewish rites.

When Jews were dispersed and groups ended up in northern Europe, the land produced poor quality grapes. To make up for the poor quality grapes, Jews added more sugar to make the wine palatable, this led to Manischewitz wine.

That being said, in the last 20 years, kosher wine has evolved greatly and even the Manischewitz company produces some nice wines in addition to their classic sugary ones.

Most of our cuisine (once it's kosher) isn't bound by Jewish law. For that reason, there's a lot of variation in such a minor matter as what is served at meals.

1) These are necessary at Shabbat and festival meals: bread and wine. Slightly sweet, braided challah-bread is customary; as is sweet red wine.

2) These are long-established customs: fish (typically gefilte fish, and especially at the evening meal); and cholent at the morning meal. Cholent is a slow-cooked stew of barley, meat and beans, with other ingredients to taste, but each family adjusts the basic makeup of the cholent as they wish.

3) These are common: soup at the evening meal; especially chicken soup (that's the famous "Jewish chicken soup" with its reputed healing-properties). Egg salad with chopped onions, and/or chopped liver.

4) Other dishes, including dessert, will vary according to family or community habits and taste.

Shabbat candles symbolize the separation between the mundane weekdays and the holiness of Shabbat. Lighting the candles brings warmth and light into the home, signifies the beginning of the day of rest, and serves as a reminder to honor and observe the sanctity of Shabbat.

If "they" are Jews, they might enjoy eating several meals, plus worship services on Friday evening, Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon-evening. The Shabbat morning service takes most of the morning and has study and singing as well as prayers. I think it's fun, but there are people who get bored. Saturday afternoon is a good time for a walk, or board games, or reading, or even a nap. When I had a dog, Saturday afternoons were a fun time for a very long dog walk. He liked that alot.

A Sabbath-day is a day kept holy as the Sabbath.

The blessings of the Havdalah ceremony mark the end of Shabbat.

To refrain from the forbidden forms of creative work.

To pray in synagogue.

To have the customary meals.

Here's more:

The Jewish Sabbath is from Friday sundown until Saturday after twilight. Its origin is in the Torah (Genesis ch.2, Leviticus ch.23, Exodus ch.20 and many other passages).

The Sabbath is considered in the Jewish religion to be a day blessed by God (Genesis ch.2), a day of rest (Exodus ch.20, ch.31), and a day of strengthening ties with the family, the community, and with God.

There are two main aspects to Shabbat observance: what we do and what we don't do.

What we don't do: we're not permitted to work on the Shabbat (Exodus ch.20). This includes 39 categories of productive interaction with the world, such as planting, writing, kindling fire, etc. (Talmud, Shabbat 73b).

What we do: candles are lit, customarily by the lady of the household, around 20 minutes before sunset on Friday afternoon. We then attend synagogue for the Friday afternoon prayer (mincha), the kabbalat Shabbat (ushering in of the Shabbat), and the Shabbat evening prayer (maariv).

On Shabbat morning, we again attend synagogue. The services are longer than on weekdays and include prayers as well as reading the weekly Torah-portion. There's often a kiddush (refreshments) afterwards, and congregants have a chance to schmooze (to talk). Towards the late afternoon, there's another (short) service (Shabbat mincha).

After Friday night services and on Shabbat morning after services, we come home, often with guests, make kiddush (blessing over wine), and have a leisurely multi-course Shabbat meal including singing and words of Torah. Customarily, that week's Torah-reading (parsha) will be a topic of conversation; and the children of the family will have a chance to speak of what they've learned in school.

After that, Shabbat is a quiet time: no phones, radio or TV (etc.), just schmoozing, taking walks, visiting friends, reading, learning Torah, playing board games, etc. Husband and wife, in particular, finally have a chance to be together after a hectic week.

"You too, thank you!"

sunset friday

Yes.

The Sabbath itself is a Jewish teaching. It is mentioned more than ten times in the Torah.

More info:

The Jewish Sabbath is from Friday sundown until Saturday after twilight. Its origin is in the Torah (Genesis ch.2, Leviticus ch.23, Exodus ch.20 and many other passages).

The Sabbath is considered in the Jewish religion to be a day blessed by God (Genesis ch.2), a day of rest (Exodus ch.20, ch.31), and a day of strengthening ties with the family, the community, and with God.

Here is further background information:

There are two main aspects to Shabbat observance: what we do and what we don't do.

What we don't do: we're not permitted to work on the Shabbat (Exodus ch.20). This includes 39 categories of productive interaction with the world, such as planting, writing, kindling fire, etc. (Talmud, Shabbat 73b).

What we do: candles are lit, customarily by the lady of the household, around 20 minutes before sunset on Friday afternoon. We then attend synagogue for the Friday afternoon prayer (mincha), the kabbalat Shabbat (ushering in of the Shabbat), and the Shabbat evening prayer (maariv).

On Shabbat morning, we again attend synagogue. The services are longer than on weekdays and include prayers as well as reading the weekly Torah-portion. There's often a kiddush (refreshments) afterwards, and congregants have a chance to schmooze (to talk). Towards the late afternoon, there's another (short) service (Shabbat mincha).

After Friday night services and on Shabbat morning after services, we come home, often with guests, make kiddush (blessing over wine), and have a leisurely multi-course Shabbat meal including singing and words of Torah. Customarily, that week's Torah-reading (parsha) will be a topic of conversation; and the children of the family will have a chance to speak of what they've learned in school.

After that, Shabbat is a quiet time: no phones, radio or TV (etc.), just schmoozing, taking walks, visiting friends, reading, learning Torah, playing board games, etc. Husband and wife, in particular, finally have a chance to be together after a hectic week.

Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, starts at sundown on Friday evening end ends at nightfall on Saturday evening. Note that sundown occurs when the sun sets, while nightfall is defined by the appearance of 3 fixed stars in the sky (or about an hour after sundown if you can't see the sky). Jewish calendars are frequently printed with the time of day of each of these in larger Jewish communities, and nowdays, you can find apps that use GPS to give these times wherever you are.

They symbolise light. They mark the presence of the Shabbat itself, and also hint to the Divine presence.