Shabbat, also called the Sabbath, is a day of rest and celebration in Judaism that occurs on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday. It is a day when Jews refrain from work activities and engage in restful activities to honor the day. Shabbat is a festive day when Jews exercise their freedom from the regular labors of everyday life. It offers an opportunity to contemplate the spiritual aspects of life and to spend time with family. The end of Shabbat is traditionally marked by a ritual called Havdalah, during which blessings are said over wine (or grape juice), aromatic spices, and light, separating Shabbat from the rest of the week.

Shabbat is considered the most important holy day in the Hebrew calendar. It is the first holy day mentioned in the Bible, and God was the first to observe it with the cessation of creation. Jewish law gives Shabbat the status of being the most important holy day in the Hebrew calendar. Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. It is a day of physical and spiritual delights that is meant to illuminate certain key concepts in the traditional Jewish perception of the world. Shabbat is portrayed in Jewish literature, poetry, and music as a bride or queen. It is said "more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel". Shabbat is a day of joy, a sanctuary from travails, and even a foretaste of the perfected world that will someday be attained.

Shabbat involves two interrelated commandments: to remember (zakhor) Shabbat, and to observe (shamor) Shabbat. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it (Hebrew: Zakhor et yom ha-Shabbat lkadsho) (Exodus 20:8) . We are commanded to observe Shabbat by refraining from creative work. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.

Different Jewish people celebrate Shabbat in different ways. It is customary to eat three festive meals: Dinner on Shabbat eve (Friday night), lunch on Shabbat day (Saturday), and a third meal (a Seudah shlishit) in the late afternoon (Saturday) . Shabbat is a day of celebration as well as prayer.