In addition to having three meals on Shabbat, there is also a tradition to eating an another meal, called Melave Malka, after Shabbat is over. The idea behind this tradition is that one should leave the Shabbat experience not in the same way as running off to an appointment, but that one should leave Shabbat slowly and even reluctantly, the way one says goodbye to family or friends. On Friday, we welcome the Shabbat “Queen” by lighting candles and making Kiddush. On Saturday night, after three stars are visible in the sky, or a certain time has passed (these times are written on Jewish calendars), we make Havdalah, which is a ritual that marks the end of Shabbat. Then we “escort the Queen” by having a Melave Malka.
Many people start working on their Shabbat leftovers at the Melave Malka meal, but it is a custom to cook at least one new kind of food. A baked potato is traditional melave malka fare, because it is easy; all you have to do is pop it in the oven. In the summertime, it is usually a good idea to put the potatoes in the oven as soon as Shabbat is over, since it is usually time to go to bed once Melave Malke is finished. Many people make omelets for melave malka instead of potatoes. It is also a custom to eat bread at this meal and to tell stories about tzaddikim (righteous people). Usually, these tales are in the form of miracle stories about the ways in which great Torah sages assisted ordinary people. This custom was instituted by the Baal Shem Tov, and it is said to be a segulah (something that is helpful) for making money. It is also a custom to drink a hot beverage at the Melave Malka from water that was not heated before Shabbat.
It is said that Melave Malka is the meal of the Redemption, because is it supposed to nourish a small bone in the back. This bone does not decompose along with the rest of the body in the grave, and, according to tradition, bodies will be resurrected from this bone when the Messiah comes. A Melave Malka is also important in late pregnancy, because it is supposed to be a segulah for an easy labor.