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Glite Dictionary
havdalah

havdalah

1 9.9
A Jewish ceremony ending the Sabbath and marking the new week with wine and spices
  • noun
  • /hævˈdɑːlə/
: havdalá
  • We gather with friends every Saturday night to perform havdalah and welcome the new week.

Examples

  • As the sun sets, we light the braided candle for havdalah, symbolizing the separation from the holy day.

  • After Havdalah, Philip dropped me off at my apartment.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Later, we did Havdalah (a brief service to mark the ending of Shabbat) and had dinner.

    Blog text (7)

  • The havdalah ceremony begins with blessings over wine and spices after the Sabbath concludes.

Surface Forms

havdalah singular
havdalot plural

Etymology

Havdalah comes from the Hebrew verb havdil, which means 'to separate' or 'to divide'. The ceremony separates the special time of the Sabbath from the ordinary week, so people use wine, spices, and a candle to show that change.