Jewish law prohibits mourners from cooking, running errands, attending school, shaving, wearing makeup or engaging in pleasures of any kind whether sensual, sexual, athletic or intellectual. For instance, the seven-day period of mourning can be correctly spelled shiva, shivah or shiv'a. Parts of days count as full days of shiva. For instance, the day of the funeral is considered the first day, even if burial takes place in the afternoon. Traditionally, shiva ends on the morning of the seventh day, right after the shaharit, the morning prayer service.
Jewish law prohibits sitting shiva on the Sabbath.
With shiva, as in virtually every other part of Jewish life, the degree to which people stick to the letter of the law varies greatly, not only among Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches of the faith, but also among individual congregations and families. Inc. How things get done. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .