When does the Jewish Sabbath begin?

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The Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat, is observed weekly from sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday. This timing is based on the biblical account of creation, which defines a day as beginning with the evening.12

In practice, the Sabbath is ushered in at home on Friday evening, typically 20 minutes before sunset, with the lighting of candles. In the synagogue, the Sabbath is formally welcomed at sunset with the recitation of psalms and the Lekha Dodi. The day concludes at nightfall on Saturday with the Havdalah ceremony, which marks the distinction between the sacred Sabbath and the start of the new week.321