How to Celebrate Shabbat

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Last Updated: January 22, 2024 Approved

Shabbat is the Jewish day of rest, observed by Jews every week of the year from Friday at sunset until Saturday night. Shabbat is celebrated as a day of rest because Jews believe that God worked for six days and rested on the seventh.^{[1]
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Go to source} Traditionally, preparing and participating in a special Shabbat meal is how this Jewish holiday is celebrated. You can also celebrate Shabbat by partaking in worship and leisure activities.

Things You Should Know

Shabbat traditionally includes three meals: a Friday night dinner, a Saturday lunch, and a lighter Saturday dinner.
Start Shabbat by lighting 2 candles on the dinner table just before sunset on Friday.
Shabbat is a day for resting. Celebrate by doing whatever feels relaxing and fun.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Hosting a Traditional Shabbat Meal

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There are three meals traditionally served on Shabbat: a full Friday night dinner, a full Saturday afternoon lunch, and a comparatively lighter Saturday evening dinner (Seudat Shilisit in Hebrew; literally "the third meal"). If you are having guests for one or all of the meals, shop and prepare even earlier, or have them bring a dish or two to ease the workload.
It is considered a praiseworthy mitzvah (good deed) to prepare your home for Shabbat. In addition to cleaning, this means using your best dishes, using your best linens, and wearing your best clothes. Traditionally, meals held in celebration of Shabbat should be fit for a queen.^{[2]
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Start Shabbat with the first blessing. Typically, there are two candles lit on the dinner table just before sunset on Friday to mark the start of Shabbat. These candles represent observing and remembering the Shabbat. To properly start Shabbat, you need to:
- Light the candles and cover or close your eyes.
- Recite the candle lighting blessing, which can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/shabbat-customs
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Pour, bless and drink the wine. The blessing of the kosher wine, or grape juice, is called Kiddoush. The wine is a symbol of joy and relaxation. To properly bless the wine, you need to:
- First, read aloud Genesis 1:31-2:3 from the Torah^{[3]
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- Lift the cup of wine and bless it. Go to http://www.aish.com/sh/ht/fn/48967396.html to get more information on this blessing.
- Bless Shabbat. This blessing can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/practice/prayers-blessings/shabbat-evening-blessings-kiddush-blessing-over-wine
- The blessing could also be found on almost every siddur (Jewish prayer book).
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Bless, break, and eat the bread. Like the candles, you should have two loaves of braided Sabbath bread known as Challah. ^{[4]
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Research source} The purpose of blessing the bread is to show gratitude for the meal that God has provided. To properly bless the bread, you should:
- Uncover the bread and say a blessing over it. Information on this blessing can be found at: http://www.reformjudaism.org/practice/prayers-blessings/shabbat-blessings-hamotzi-blessing-over-bread-meal.
- Slice, salt, and eat the bread after the blessings.^{[6]
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  Research source} This can be in forms other the traditional braided loaves. Some prepare garlic pita bread, while others incorporate cinnamon and raisins to make a sweeter challah.^{[7]
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Try making a Mediterranean dip, a unique salsa, or gefilte fish. These dishes are common to serve at the beginning of the meal.
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Serve soup or salad. The next part of the meal typically includes serving and eating soup, salad, or both.
- If serving a soup, try chicken soup, beef and mushroom barley, or ginger carrot soup.
- If serving a salad, consider a mandarin-orange beet salad or a romaine pepper steak salad.^{[8]
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Serve a main dish with two or more sides. For the main course, there are many different options to choose from.
- For the main dish, consider making meatballs in a mushroom sauce, apricot chicken, or brisket.
- For the side dishes, try kugels, ratatouille, or green bean almandine.^{[9]
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Finish the last course strong with a tasty and sweet treat. Some different desserts you may want to make include: apple crumble, peanut butter ice cream pie, or double chocolate fudge brownies.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Worshipping on Shabbat

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You can go to synagogue during Shabbat and experience a slightly varied form of Jewish worship where the focus is on personal and group prayer. At these services, you should focus more on praising God than making requests from him.^{[11]
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Study the Torah. You can also celebrate Shabbat by reading Jewish scripture.^{[12]
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Go to source} Doing this can help you focus on God and learn more about judaism. You can read the Torah by yourself or discuss it with a friend or family member.
- The Torah is most prominently made up of historical stories, which reveal God’s influence and work, as well as the details of Halahka, the Jewish laws.^{[13]
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- Most importantly, The Torah teaches of commandments and the welfare of the body and soul.^{[14]
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- Get into the habit of reading and/or discussing a new section of the Torah with a friend or family member each Shabbat. Select a small group of Jewish laws to study, or pick a particular story to read and discuss with a friend over coffee.
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Sing Jewish songs. There are many different Jewish songs, often in Hebrew, that have messages of praise and worship. During Shabbat, you can sing these songs at synagogue or a Shabbat meal with others. Some worship songs you can sing include:
- ”Ki Tavo'u El Ha'aretz,” including text from the book of Leviticus
- ”Vehitifu Heharim Asis,” including text from the book of Amos
- ”Birkat HaKohanim,” including text from the book of Numbers

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Participating in Leisure Activities During Shabbat

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Many take the time to reconnect with old relatives or friends during Shabbat. You can call, write, or spend time with those close to you to show them love and support.
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Indulge in hobbies and relax. Since Shabbat is considered a day of rest, you can celebrate by doing whatever it is that relaxes you and feels like fun instead of work. Here are some examples of activities you may want to try:
- Volunteering
- Going for a nature walk
- Visiting a museum
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Participate in activities at your own discretion. Traditionally, there are thirty-nine different tasks that practicing Jews are not supposed to do during Shabbat. Mostly, these activities resemble work. However, the standards have shifted a lot over time. Some Jews adhere strictly to the list and others follow guidelines more loosely. There is much debate over the acceptability of partaking in certain activities, such as watching television, driving a car, cooking, cleaning, and spending money. Some of the original thirty-nine prohibited tasks include:
- Plowing
- Baking
- Shearing wool
- Weaving
- Sewing stitches
- Writing two or more letters
- Building
- Kindling a fire^{[15]
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What do I do on Sunday during Shabbat?

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Sunday isn't a part of Shabbat, so you just treat it like a normal weekday.

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If making fire is prohibited, why are candles allowed?

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The candles must be lit before or at the start of the Shabbat, not during. It's not the light itself that's prohibited, but the act of kindling the candle, as it's considered a form of work.

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Do you always have to eat kosher if you are Jewish?

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Not all Jews practice as observantly as others, therefore some don't ever eat kosher, but some always do. You have to decide what's best for you.

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Taking your children to Saturday morning Shabbat services at your synagogue can be a meaningful experience for them, too. Some synagogues provide special Shabbat programs for children.

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You can purchase Jewish prayer books that have all of the necessary blessings and songs for celebrating Shabbat.

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Bring fresh flowers into your home to strengthen the Shabbat atmosphere.

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Warnings

Chasidic and Orthodox Judaism have extremely strict rules about observing Shabbat. A popular custom is to take a nap on Shabbat afternoon, in part to avoid transgressing one of the prohibitions.

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