Shabbat meals facts for kids
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Shabbat meals are special meals eaten by Jewish people who observe Shabbat (the Sabbath). Shabbat is a day of rest and holiness, lasting from sunset on Friday until nightfall on Saturday. During this time, families gather to share three important meals.
The first meal is on Friday night, the second is on Saturday during the day, and the third is late on Saturday afternoon. These meals are a big part of celebrating Shabbat and spending time with family and friends.
Contents
Friday Night Meal: Welcoming Shabbat
The Friday night meal is a beautiful way to welcome Shabbat. It often starts with singing "Shalom Aleichem". This song welcomes angels that are believed to visit Jewish homes on Friday night. After this, families might sing "Eishet Chayil", a song from the Book of Proverbs that praises Jewish women.
Kiddush and Challah
A special part of the meal is called kiddush. This is a blessing said over a cup of wine or grape juice to make Shabbat holy. After kiddush, people wash their hands in a special way before eating bread. The meal then officially begins with the head of the household lifting two loaves of challah bread. They say a blessing called Hamotzi. The challah is sliced, dipped in salt, and eaten.
Festive Foods and Songs
The Friday night meal usually includes festive foods, like chicken. It's a time for singing special songs called Zemirot and sharing thoughts about the Torah. These traditions help make the meal feel like a very special and holy event. Many Jewish families also enjoy "gefilte fish" (a dish made from ground fish) and chicken soup during this meal.
Saturday Day Meal: Hot Foods and Community
The Saturday morning meal also begins with kiddush and the Hamotzi blessing over two challot. A unique custom for this meal is eating hot foods.
Why Hot Foods?
Long ago, some Jewish groups disagreed about whether it was allowed to eat heated food on Shabbat. To show they followed the traditional Jewish law (called the Oral Torah), people started eating hot foods on Shabbat. This tradition continues today.
Traditional Stews
To keep food hot without cooking on Shabbat, many communities eat slow-cooked stews.
- Ashkenazi Jews often eat cholent. This is a hearty stew with meat, potatoes, beans, and barley.
- Sephardic Jews eat a similar stew called chamin.
- Bukharian Jews have their own version called Osh Sovo.
These stews are cooked slowly overnight, so they are warm and ready to eat on Saturday.
Shalosh Seudos: The Third Meal
The third meal of Shabbat is called Shalosh Seudos (which means "Third Meal" in Hebrew). It starts before sunset on Saturday afternoon, but can continue after dark. Like the other meals, it begins with washing hands and saying the Hamotzi blessing over two challot. Sometimes, dairy foods are eaten at this meal. It's a quieter, more reflective meal as Shabbat comes to an end.
Images for kids
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Two whole-wheat challot
