Shabbat meals

Shabbat mealsorShabbos meals(Hebrew:סעודות שבת,romanized:Seudot Shabbat, Seudoys Shabbos) are the three meals eaten byShabbat-observantJews, the first on Friday night, the second on Saturday day, and the third late on Saturday afternoon. The Hebrew word for meal isseudah, with the plural version beingseudosorseudot, thus the Friday night and Saturday day meals are often calledseudotorseudos. The third meal, held on Saturday afternoon is called eithershalosh seudos,seudah shlishit, orshaleshudus.
The Friday night meal traditionally begins with the singing of "Shalom Aleichem", a song welcoming the angels that the Talmud says visit every Jewish home on Friday night.This is often followed by the singing of "Eishet Chayil" (Proverbs 31, also pronounced "eishes chayil"), a song praising the Jewish woman.
In most communities, the singing of "Eishet Chayil" is followed bykiddush, the Jewish practice of sanctifying the Sabbath over a cup of wine or grape juice.Followingkiddush, the meal continues withhandwashingbefore eating bread.The meal then begins, with the head of the household lifting up twochallahbreads, and reciting the blessing ofHamotzi. Thechallahis sliced, dipped into salt, and eaten. The meal continues with festive foods (often chicken), often with singing and sharing Torah thoughts.
It is customary atAshkenazicShabbosmeals to eat "gefilte fish" at the beginning of the meal,a dish made of ground, deboned fish, commonlycarp,whitefish,pike, andNile perch. Chicken soup is also commonly eaten at the Friday night meal.
There are two further customs, common to all meals.Zemirotare sung around the table (usually between courses; and often by the men only). These help achieve the religious aspiration of transforming the domestic table into a recreation of the Temple altar; seeKorban § Purpose.
Similarly the host will usually deliver a short Torah idea, orDvar Torah, before theBirkat HamazonGrace after meals.
The Saturday morning meal traditionally begins withkiddushandHamotzion twochallot.
It is customary to eat hot foods at this meal. During and after theSecond Temple period, theSadducees, who rejected theOral Torah, did not eat heated food onShabbat(as heated food appears to be prohibited in thewritten section of the Torah). To express that they followed theOral Torah, thePharisees(who followed of theTannaim) specifically ate heated food onShabbat.The tradition of eating hot foods on Shabbat has lasted till today.
InAshkenaziccommunities, the custom of eating hot foods is observed by eatingcholent, a stew made primarily of meat, potatoes, beans, barley and spices. Sauces, onions, carrots, hot dogs,kugel, andketchupare often added.Sephardic Jews, includingMoroccansandIraqis, observe the custom of eating hot foods by eatingchamin(Hebrew forhot), a similar stew.Bukharian Jewseat a similar stew calledOsh Sovo(or "ussvo").
The third meal ofShabbat, calledShalosh seudos,Seudah Shlishit(which literally means "Third Meal" in Hebrew), orShaleshudus, begins before sundown of Saturday night, although it may continue after. It begins with washing for bread and reciting theHamotziblessing on twochallot. Dairy is sometimes eaten atshalosh seudos.