what happens in the scandinavian countries where shabbos starts very very late, like close to midnight in the summer? when does shabbos begin and end there, and how are the times supposed to work?
shabbos in scandinavia where sunset is very late
by moi613 | Sep 10, 2026 | Shabbat & Yom Tov | 2 comments
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thank you Rabbi, this was explained so clearly.
This is an old question, and I do not think there is one perfectly clear answer.
The classical halachic sources generally assume a normal cycle of day, sunset, night, and sunrise. In very northern places, that system can break down.
There are really two different problems.
In a place like St. Petersburg in the summer, the sun may technically set, but it never really gets dark. Farther north, the sun may not set at all for days or weeks.
Later Poskim suggested different approaches. Some use the local solar cycle, some use the sun’s lowest point around midnight, and some compare the location to a more southern place. I do not see one approach that is so obvious that everyone else is wrong.
My own practical approach is to be cautious.
If there is an actual sunset, use it.
If there is no real darkness afterward, I would treat the expected night period as a safek and be careful.
If the sun does not set at all, then the sun’s lowest point around local midnight seems to me the most natural dividing point in the 24-hour cycle. At some point the previous day has to end. You cannot simply continue one halachic day indefinitely because the sky remains bright.
I would not rely blindly on an app that gives an exact time and pretend that the underlying halachic question has been solved.
When I was in St. Petersburg, I treated the uncertain period cautiously rather than pretending I had absolute certainty.
This is one of those areas where the astronomy may be very precise, but the Halachah is not.
And if anyone has a good source or a better way of understanding the problem, I am very willing to hear it.