"Havdalah set, focus on the kiddush cup in the center."
(Getty Images)

Guide to Non-Standard Havdalah Ceremonies

The ritual marking the end of Shabbat is also performed in modified version at the close of Jewish holidays.

Advertisement

Havdalah is a ceremony performed on Saturday night at the conclusion of Shabbat. The ceremony is brief and involves four blessings: over wine, spices, the light of a braided candle and the separation between the holiness of Shabbat and the rest of the week

But what happens when a Jewish holiday falls on a Saturday night and the end of Shabbat no longer marks the beginning of non-sacred time? And is Havdalah also recited at the conclusion of holidays? Read on for a guide to these and other non-standard Havdalah ceremonies. 

Havdalah for Saturday Night / Start of a Holiday

When a Jewish holiday begins on Saturday night at the conclusion of Shabbat (or outside of Israel, when the second night of a two-day holiday like Passover, Sukkot or Shavuot falls on a Saturday night), a modified version of Havdalah is recited. The common practice is to incorporate Havdalah into the Kiddush that is said at the onset of the holiday meal, but with several modifications:

  1. No blessing is recited over spices
  2. No Havdalah candle is used; instead, the holiday candles are used
  3. The blessing over wine is included in the Kiddush blessing over wine
  4. The final blessing is modified from the standard bein kodesh l’chol (“between holy and secular”) to bein kodesh l’kodesh (“between holy and holy”) 

Havdalah After Holidays

A modified version of Havdalah is recited at the close of all biblical holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot. This version of Havdalah omits the blessings over the candle and spices, with the exception of Yom Kippur, when the blessing over the candle is included. 

Support My Jewish Learning

Help us keep Jewish knowledge accessible to millions of people around the world.

Your donation to My Jewish Learning fuels endless journeys of Jewish discovery. With your help, My Jewish Learning can continue to provide nonstop opportunities for learning, connection and growth.

Havdalah During Hol Hamoed

The first and last days of the weeklong festivals of Passover and Sukkot are known as yom tov (literally “good day”) and are much akin to Shabbat in that restrictions on creative labor are in force. The intermediate days are known as hol hamoed (literally “the weekday of the festival”) and most holidays restrictions are suspended. 

The same Havdalah ceremony recited at the conclusion of biblical holidays is recited to mark the transition from yom tov to hol hamoed, so long as the first day of hal hamoed is not Shabbat. This version includes the blessings over wine and the separation of sacred and non-sacred time and it omits the blessings over spices and the candle. 

Havdalah for Friday Night / End of a Holiday

When a Jewish holiday ends on a Friday night just as Shabbat begins, no Havdalah is recited. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Discover More

Shabbat Blessings for Friday Night

Lighting the candles, saying Kiddush and other Shabbat dinner rituals.

How to Braid Challah for Shabbat, Holidays or Anytime

Our how-to video will help you conquer the art of braiding challah for any occasion.

How To Read Eshet Hayil

Explaining this ancient song about a 'woman of valor'

Advertisement