A Jewish ceremony marking the end of the Sabbath and the beginning of the new week, involving blessings over wine, spices, and a candle.
From Hebrew havdalah, meaning 'separation' or 'distinction,' from the verb l'havdil (to separate), reflecting the ceremony's purpose of distinguishing the holy Sabbath from ordinary weekdays.
Havdalah is beautifully sensory—you smell fragrant spices and watch a braided candle burn—and it's the exact counterpart to Shabbat's beginning, creating a perfect weekly cycle of sacred time.
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