As you probably learned over Rosh Hashanah, three day yom tovs require a lot of logistical awareness. I thought it might be a good idea to write it out to help you plan the 3 day chag coming up this week. However, this timeline is written for 3 day chagim generally. Always double-check the times in your shul’s newsletter or other zmanim calendar (examples: MyZmanim, the OU Calendar, and the Chabad Calendar), and make sure you write them down!
Wednesday Night
Make an eruv tavshilin, if you will need to cook food for Shabbat on the yom tov
Remember to light a fire that will last until Friday night candlelighting (yartzheit candle, gas stove, etc)
Locate your machzor; it’s so helpful.
Light candles and make shecheyanu blessing at normal candlelighting time, but you can light until the start of the evening meal if you light from a pre-existing flame (bracha, then light, no eye covering)
Note: I’m told that Sephardi women don’t make a bracha on yom tov candles. So if that doesn’t apply to you, skip it.
Note: I’m told that Sephardi women don’t make a bracha on yom tov candles. So if that doesn’t apply to you, skip it.
Mincha for weekdays
Maariv for festivals
Dinner
Thursday
Shacharit may start earlier than normal, remember to check
Lunch
Mincha may be longer than normal
Maariv will be later than normal (after three stars, but exact timing can differ significantly by community)
Light candles from a pre-existing flame after the time of 3 stars, but you can light with a bracha so long as people are still awake and could benefit from the light (bracha, then light, no eye covering)
On Rosh Hashanah, make a shecheyanu blessing, but wear something new and have that newness in mind (there are other ways to fulfill the “newness,” but this is often the easiest)
Remember to let the match extinguish itself
Dinner
Friday
Shacharis may start earlier than normal, remember to check
Lunch
Light candles from a pre-existing flame at normal candlelighting time (light, cover eyes, then bracha – like normal)
Remember to let the match extinguish itself
Mincha may be longer than normal
Shortened Kabbalat Shabbat because you’re transitioning from “holy” to “holy”
Maariv at normal time
Dinner
Shabbat
Note: you need to eat your eruv tavshilin items before Shabbat ends – check the latest time according to your community
Regular Shabbat shacharit with festival additions, if applicable
Shabbat lunch
Regular Shabbat mincha with festival additions, if applicable
Seudah Shlishit, if you do that
Weekday Maariv with Motzei Shabbat additions
Regular Havdalah, but check your machzor just in case
In total, you need to plan for as many as 7 meals:
Wednesday dinner, Thursday lunch, Thursday dinner, Friday lunch, Friday dinner, Shabbat lunch, Shabbat Shalosh Seudas (not everyone does this)
I hope this is helpful!