Complete Guide to Shabbat Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

Shabbat is the centerpiece of the Jewish week, beginning every Friday evening at sunset and concluding on Saturday evening when three medium stars appear in the night sky. Because Shabbat timing depends entirely on the position of the sun relative to your exact location, candle lighting and Havdalah times vary by city and change from week to week.

To check exact Shabbat times for your city this week, visit our interactive Shabbat Candle Lighting Times page.

What Time Shabbat Starts and Ends

The Sabbath arrives at dusk on Friday and ends at nightfall on Saturday. However, halachic law requires adding extra time to the beginning and end of Shabbat (Tosefet Shabbat) to create a protective buffer around holy time.

1. Friday Evening (Candle Lighting): Shabbat starts before sunset. Women and girls traditionally light candles to welcome the Sabbath. The standard custom in most Diaspora communities is to light candles exactly 18 minutes before astronomical sunset.
2. Saturday Evening (Havdalah): Shabbat concludes after nightfall when stars become visible. The ceremony of Havdalah (meaning separation) is recited over wine, spices, and a multi-wicked candle to mark the boundary between the holy Sabbath and the workweek.

Why Candle Lighting Times Differ by City

Candle lighting times depend on three main factors: latitude, longitude, and local elevation.

Because Earth is round and tilted on its axis, the sun sets at different moments in different cities. For example, on a winter evening, sunset occurs earlier in New York than in Chicago because New York is further east within the Eastern Time zone.

Geographic elevation also affects solar visibility. At higher elevations, the horizon is further away, allowing observers to see the sun slightly longer than someone at sea level.

Local Customs and Time Offsets

In addition to astronomical factors, local rabbinic traditions establish specific candle lighting offsets:

• 18 Minutes (Standard Diaspora): Most cities in North America, Europe, and Latin America observe candle lighting 18 minutes prior to sunset.
• 40 Minutes (Jerusalem and Select Communities): Jerusalem has an ancient custom of lighting candles 40 minutes before sunset. Other historic cities in Israel, such as Petach Tikva, also observe a 40-minute offset. Haifa traditionally observes 30 minutes.
• Custom Family Offsets: Some families or communities light 20, 30, or 60 minutes before sunset as an enhanced stringency (hiddur mitzvah).

On our calculation pages, you can adjust these offset preferences to match your personal or community custom.

Candle Lighting vs Sunset Boundaries

A common question is why candle lighting is scheduled before sunset rather than at sunset itself.

In Jewish law, work (melacha) prohibited on Shabbat becomes forbidden the moment sunset occurs. Lighting a candle requires creating fire, which is a prohibited activity on Shabbat. By lighting candles 18 or 40 minutes prior to sunset, households ensure that all preparations and candle lighting are completed before the Sabbath officially begins. Once candles are lit, the Sabbath has been formally accepted for that household.

Havdalah Standards and Options

While Shabbat begins before sunset on Friday, it ends well after sunset on Saturday when full nightfall arrives. Because determining exact nightfall by visual star observation can be subjective, rabbinic scholars established standardized mathematical criteria based on solar elevation below the horizon.

Here are the primary Havdalah standards used today:

1. Three Medium Stars (Tzait HaKochavim)

The classic Talmudic standard for nightfall is the appearance of three medium-sized stars in the night sky. Astronomically, this corresponds to the sun reaching approximately 6.0 to 7.0 degrees below the horizon. In many mid-latitude locations, this occurs roughly 42 minutes after sunset.

2. Fixed Minute Calculations

Many communities use fixed minute offsets following sunset for practical consistency:

• 42 Minutes: Widely used standard in many Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities for regular Saturday night Havdalah.
• 50 Minutes: Common stringency in communities seeking a clear buffer beyond basic nightfall.
• 72 Minutes (Rabbeinu Tam): Based on the opinion of the 12th-century scholar Rabbeinu Tam, nightfall occurs when the sun reaches 19.8 degrees below the horizon (or 72 seasonal minutes after sunset). Many observant individuals wait until 72 minutes after sunset before ending Shabbat or performing weekday work.

High Latitude Considerations

In extreme northern or southern regions (such as northern Canada, Scandinavia, or Scotland), calculating Shabbat times during mid-summer and mid-winter presents unique astronomical challenges.

During summer in high-latitude cities, the sun dips only slightly below the horizon at night, creating prolonged twilight where nightfall never technically occurs. In winter, sunset can occur as early as 3:00 PM.

In extreme situations where twilight persists all night, halachic authorities provide specific guidelines. Options include calculating times based on the nearest city with regular day-night cycles, using fixed clock offsets, or following the rulings of local rabbinic leadership. Users in high-latitude regions should always consult a local Orthodox rabbi for practical rulings.

Respecting Local Rabbinic Authority

While automated calculations provide accurate astronomical data, Jewish law emphasizes the authority of the local community rabbi (Mara D’Atra). Local rabbinic councils publish official community calendars that account for local horizon obstructions, municipal boundaries, and established regional traditions.

Use our calculations as an informative guide, but defer to your local synagogue or rabbinic council when setting household schedules.

Exploring Related Shabbat Resources

To explore Shabbat times across major global Jewish centers, check our dedicated city pages:
* Shabbat Times in New York
* Shabbat Times in Jerusalem
* Shabbat Times in London

To learn more about how the Hebrew calendar structures weeks, months, and leap years, explore our comprehensive Jewish Calendar Guide.

For custom candle lighting times and Havdalah schedules for any location worldwide, rely on our primary Shabbat Candle Lighting Times calculator.