Short backgrounds on daily prayer and worship times across the faiths listed on this site.
Prayer names open today's times for that faith so you can see when they are scheduled.
Alot haShachar is dawn: the beginning of the halachic day for some fasts and early practices, not a required synagogue service. Definitions use degrees below the horizon or fixed minutes, so communities disagree on the minute. This row is a time limit / zman, not a named tefillah. Ask your rabbi which calculation you should use.
Chatzot is midday, halfway between sunrise and sunset in the seasonal-hour system used here. It matters for some fasts, for the latest morning amidah in some views, and as a midday point for study or recitation. It is a zman, not a required service. Definitions of “day” can shift the minute.
Havdalah is the brief ceremony that ends Shabbat after nightfall, with wine, spices, and a flame in common practice. This site lists it on Saturday when our data source provides a time. The minute depends on how your community defines tzeit. Use the time announced by your synagogue if you need a communal standard.
Mincha Gedola is the earliest time many communities allow for the afternoon Mincha prayer, shortly after midday. It is a window opening, not a separate liturgy from Mincha. Some wait until Mincha Ketana. The listing is approximate. Your shul’s posted Mincha time is the practical hour.
Mincha Ketana is a later afternoon point (often 9.5 seasonal hours into the day) preferred by some for Mincha. It is a zman related to the Mincha service, not a second prayer with another name. Communities choose Gedola or Ketana for their public Mincha. Confirm locally.
Misheyakir is the time when there is enough light to recognize someone a short distance away, used for earliest tallit and tefillin in many opinions. It is a zman (deadline / permitted window), not a prayer service. Calculations differ. The listing is approximate for the location. Confirm with your community.
Netz haChama is sunrise, the preferred time for the morning Amidah according to many opinions (vatikin). It is a solar zman, not the name of the Shacharit service itself. Some pray at sunrise; others pray later within the allowed window. The clock time is calculated sunrise.
Plag haMincha is a late-afternoon zman used in some communities for lighting candles, for an early Maariv, or for other cutoff rules. It is a time limit, not a required service. Opinions on how to calculate plag differ. Do not use this row alone for candle lighting without your community’s custom.
Candle lighting on Friday is a mitzvah that begins Shabbat in the home, typically 18 minutes before sunset in many communities (other customs exist). It appears on this site on Fridays when our data source provides a time. It is not a synagogue service. Always follow your community’s posted candle-lighting time.
Shkiat haChama is sunset, a major dividing line for Shabbat, fasts, and many daily laws. It is a solar zman, not the Maariv service itself. Maariv is prayed from around this period according to custom. The clock time is calculated sunset for the location.
Sof Zman Shma is the latest time for the morning Shema according to the calculation used here. It is a deadline, not a synagogue service. Major opinions (Magen Avraham, Gra, and others) yield different minutes. If this time matters for you, follow the zmanim chart of your community, not this row alone.
Sof Zman Tfilla (often called sof zman tefillah) is the latest time for the morning Amidah in the opinion behind this listing. It is a deadline, not a named prayer. Missing it has halachic implications that depend on your posek. Use your synagogue or a trusted zmanim source when you need a ruling.
Tzeit hakochavim is nightfall, when three stars are associated with the end of the day for many laws (Shabbat end, fast end, Maariv in some views). It is a zman, not a prayer. Communities use 42 minutes, 72 minutes, degrees below the horizon, and other methods. This listing follows the nightfall value available from our data source. Follow your rabbi for a ruling.
This prayer reference covers the daily times listed on My Sacred Times. Local and regional customs can still differ. Times are approximate. If something important to your community is missing, or a description needs a correction, please write to us at info@mysacredtimes.com.
