Friday afternoon is a busy time for Jewish families, preparing for Shabbat. All the food for Shabbat is made, the table is laid and the house is cleaned. Timers are set, so that during Shabbat, lights and heating will come on by themselves.

After all the work is done, every member of the family has a bath and they get dressed in their best clothes. In some families, the men and the boys go to the synagogue on Friday afternoon to pray. In many Jewish homes, Shabbat is seen as a Queen who has come to visit.