When Does the Sabbath Start and End?
Quick answer: the Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday evening and ends at sundown on Saturday evening — a twenty-four-hour day set apart from the rest of the week. It isn't tied to a fixed clock time like 6:00 p.m.; it moves with the actual sunset where you live, which is why the exact start time looks a little different in December than it does in June.
If you're new to Sabbath-keeping, that "it depends on your location" answer can feel a little unsatisfying at first. So below is the full picture: where the sundown-to-sundown pattern comes from, how to find your own local start time each week, and answers to the questions people ask most often when they're figuring this out for the first time.
Why Sundown to Sundown?
The Bible marks the boundaries of a day by evening and morning, not by midnight. Genesis 1:5 sets the pattern from the very first page of Scripture: "And the evening and the morning were the first day." That same evening-to-evening rhythm repeats through each day of Creation week, including the seventh day, on which God rested.
Leviticus 23:32 makes the same pattern explicit for a holy day of rest: "It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest... from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." And in Nehemiah 13:19, Nehemiah has the city gates of Jerusalem shut "when it began to be dark, before the sabbath" — a practical, real-world example of someone drawing the Sabbath's boundary at the coming of evening, not at a clock hour.
Put together, the pattern is consistent: each biblical day runs from one evening to the next, and the Sabbath is no exception. That's why Sabbath-keepers watch the sunset rather than the clock.
How to Find Your Local Sabbath Start Time
Because sunset time depends on where you live and what time of year it is, the easiest way to know when the Sabbath begins this week is to look up the actual sunset for your city. A few simple options:
- Search "sunset time" plus your city name in any search engine — most will show today's exact time right at the top of the results.
- Check the weather app already on your phone; most include daily sunrise and sunset times.
- Use a dedicated sunrise-sunset calculator website for a precise, location-based time.
- Look for a weekly sunset table published by your local church, conference, or Adventist community — many post these every bulletin.
- If you travel, remember to check the sunset time for wherever you actually are that week, not your home city.
Skip the searching — enter your city below and get your exact local Sabbath start and end times instantly.
The Sabbath Is Coming
Every Friday evening to Saturday evening, we rest in God's presence
Not Sure of the Exact Minute? Start a Little Early
You don't need to time it to the second. Many Sabbath-keepers build in a small buffer — ten to twenty minutes before the calculated sunset — so the transition into the Sabbath feels unhurried rather than like a countdown. The same goes for Saturday evening: if you're unsure whether the sun has fully set, it's better to let the Sabbath run a few extra minutes than to end it early.
The goal is a day that's genuinely set apart, not a stopwatch exercise. A few minutes of margin on either end helps the day breathe.
Common Questions
The Sabbath starts at sundown on Friday evening. Because sunset time changes throughout the year and varies by location, there isn't one fixed clock time — it's tied to the actual sunset where you live, not a set hour like 6:00 p.m.
The Sabbath ends at sundown on Saturday evening, exactly twenty-four hours after it began. Like the start time, the end time shifts with the local sunset.
Scripture consistently marks days by evening and morning rather than by a midnight clock. Genesis 1:5 says "the evening and the morning were the first day," and Leviticus 23:32 instructs, "from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath." That evening-to-evening pattern is how the Sabbath has been reckoned since Creation.
Search "sunset time" plus your city name in any search engine, check a weather app, or use a sunrise-sunset calculator online. Many church bulletins and Adventist conference websites also publish weekly sunset tables for their region.
When in doubt, begin a little early rather than late. Many Sabbath-keepers build in a buffer of ten to twenty minutes before the calculated sunset, easing into the Sabbath rather than watching the clock down to the second.
Yes. Sunset shifts throughout the year, so the Sabbath begins earlier in winter and later in summer. It's worth checking the time each week rather than assuming it's the same as last month.
Keep Exploring
Now that you know when the Sabbath begins, here's how to make the most of it.
