Editing Sunday (section)

===Modern practices===
[[First-day Sabbatarian]]s, including Christians of the [[Methodism|Methodist]], [[Baptists|Baptist]] and [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed]] ([[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian]] and [[Congregationalism|Congregationalist]]) traditions, observe Sunday as the [[sabbath]], a day devoted to the worship of God at church (the attendance of [[Sunday School]], a [[Church service|service of worship]] in the morning and evening), as well as a day of rest (meaning that people are free from servile labour and should refrain from trading, buying and selling except when necessary).<ref name="Heyck2013">{{cite book|last=Heyck|first=Thomas|title=A History of the Peoples of the British Isles: From 1688 to 1914|date=27 September 2013|publisher=Taylor & Francis|language=English|isbn=9781134415205|page=251|quote=Yet the degree of overlap between the middle class and nonconformity-Baptists, Congregregationalists, Wesleyan Methodists, Quakers, Presbyterians, and Unitarians-was substantial. ... Most nonconformist denominations ...frowned on drink, dancing, and the theater, and they promoted Sabbatarianism (the policy of prohibiting trade and public recreation on Sundays). }}</ref><ref name="Roth2002">{{cite book|last=Roth|first=Randolph A.|title=The Democratic Dilemma: Religion, Reform, and the Social Order in the Connecticut River Valley of Vermont, 1791-1850|date=25 April 2002|publisher=Cambridge University Press|language=en|isbn=9780521317733|page=171|quote=Except for the strong support of Episcopalians in Windsor and Woodstock, the Sabbatarians found their appeal limited almost exclusively to Congregationalists and Presbyterians, some of whom did not fear state action on religious matters of interdenominational concern.}}</ref>

For most Christians the custom and obligation of Sunday rest is not as strict. A minority of Christians do not regard the day they attend church as important, so long as they attend. There is considerable variation in the observance of Sabbath rituals and restrictions, but some cessation of normal weekday activities is customary. Many Christians today observe Sunday as a day of church attendance.

In [[Roman Catholic]] liturgy, Sunday begins on Saturday evening. The evening Mass on Saturday is liturgically a full Sunday Mass and fulfills the obligation of Sunday Mass attendance, and [[Vespers]] (evening prayer) on Saturday night is liturgically "first Vespers" of the Sunday. The same evening anticipation applies to other major solemnities and feasts, and is an echo of the Jewish practice of starting the new day at sunset. Those who work in the medical field, in law enforcement, and soldiers in a war zone are dispensed from the usual obligation to attend church on Sunday. They are encouraged to combine their work with attending religious services if possible.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

In the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]], Sunday begins at the [[Little Entrance]] of Vespers (or [[All-Night Vigil]]) on Saturday evening and runs until "[[Vouchsafe, O Lord]]" (after the "[[prokeimenon]]") of Vespers on Sunday night. During this time, the [[dismissal (liturgy)|dismissal]] at all services begin with the words, "May Christ our True God, who rose from the dead ...." Anyone who wishes to receive [[Holy Communion]] at [[Divine Liturgy]] on Sunday morning is required to attend Vespers the night before (see [[Eucharistic discipline]]). Among Orthodox Christians, Sunday is considered to be a "Little [[Easter|Pascha]]" (Easter), and because of the Paschal joy, the making of [[poklon|prostrations]] is forbidden, except in certain circumstances.

Some languages lack separate words for "Saturday" and "Sabbath" (e.g. Italian, Portuguese). Outside the English-speaking world, ''Sabbath'' as a word, if it is used, refers to the Saturday (or the specific Jewish practices on it); Sunday is called the Lord's Day e.g. in Romance languages and Modern Greek. On the other hand, English-speaking Christians often refer to the Sunday as the Sabbath (other than Seventh-day Sabbatarians); a practice which, probably due to the international connections and the Latin tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, is more widespread among (but not limited to) Protestants. [[Religious Society of Friends|Quakers]] traditionally referred to Sunday as "First Day" eschewing the [[paganism|pagan]] origin of the English name, while referring to Saturday as the "Seventh day".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iymc.org/calendarnames.html |title=Guide to Quaker Calendar Names |author=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) |access-date=30 March 2017 |quote=In the 20th Century, many Friends began accepting use of the common date names, feeling that any pagan meaning has been forgotten. The numerical names continue to be used, however, in many documents and more formal situations."}}</ref>

Some Christian denominations, called "[[Sabbath in seventh-day churches|Seventh-day Sabbatarians]]", observe a [[Saturday Sabbath]]. Christians in the [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-day Adventist]], [[Seventh Day Baptist]], and [[Church of God (disambiguation)#Sabbatarian Churches of God|Church of God]] (Seventh-Day) denominations, as well as many [[Messianic Jews]], have maintained the practice of abstaining from work and gathering for worship on Saturdays (sunset to sunset) as did all of the followers of God in the [[Old Testament]].