The Passover Seder: What to Expect

Summary

Passover Seders come in various forms but share common symbols and customs. The Seder Plate, Matzah, wine, and a cup for Elijah are central to the table. Each item on the Seder Plate represents a different aspect of Passover, while the Haggadah guides participants through the ritual. The Seder includes storytelling, blessings, handwashing, and eating symbolic foods. Traditions range from interactive readings to playful customs like hiding the Afikomen for a prize. The celebration emphasizes themes of liberation, memory, and community, often concluding with songs and the hope for 'Next year in Jerusalem.'

Takeaways

• 🍷 Passover Seders come in various forms, from skit-filled to quick ones focused on food, but certain symbols and customs remain constant.
• 🥚 In the center of the table, you’ll find wine, Matzah, a cup for Elijah, and a Seder Plate featuring items like a shank bone, egg, bitter herb, Charoset, Karpas, and lettuce, each symbolizing aspects of Passover.
• 📖 The Haggadah guides participants through the seder and comes in many versions, including minimalist, elaborate, and versions for various groups like feminists or activists.
• 🛐 The word 'Seder' means 'Order,' and key traditions include blessing wine, washing hands, dipping vegetables in salt water, and breaking the middle Matzah, with the Afikomen being hidden for later.
• ✡️ The seder emphasizes memory and themes of liberation and redemption, often through rabbinical discussions rather than simply retelling the Exodus story.
• 🎶 A key part of the seder is the Four Questions (Ma Nishtana), usually asked by the youngest child, and the popular song 'Dayenu.'
• 🍽️ After storytelling, participants wash hands, eat matzo, bitter herbs (Maror), and a matzo/maror sandwich, followed by the main meal, which may include kitniyot at Sephardi seders.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The search for the Afikomen happens after the meal, and the one who finds it receives a prize, signaling the end of the meal with a piece of matzah.
• 🎤 The seder continues with Birkat Hamazon (grace after meals), opening the door for Elijah, singing Hallel, drinking more wine, and closing with 'Next year in Jerusalem.'
• 🎵 Two bonus songs often sung at the end are 'Echad Mi Yodea' and 'Chad Gadya,' and outside of Israel, traditional Jews celebrate two nights of seders.

Q & A

What is a Passover Seder?

A Passover Seder is a Jewish ritual feast held during Passover that includes a sequence of symbolic foods, customs, and readings to commemorate the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

What items are traditionally placed on the Seder table?

On the Seder table, there is usually wine, a stack of matzah, a cup of wine for Elijah the prophet, and a Seder plate with specific symbolic items such as a shank bone, egg, bitter herb, charoset, karpas, and a piece of lettuce.

What is the purpose of the Haggadah during the Seder?

The Haggadah is a book or set of printouts that guides participants through the Seder, explaining the customs and rituals. It can come in various versions, including those with feminist, environmental, chassidic, or political commentaries.

Why is the Seder called 'Seder' and what does the word mean?

The word 'Seder' means 'Order' in Hebrew, reflecting the specific sequence of rituals and readings followed during the Passover meal.

What are the initial customs performed at the start of the Seder?

The initial customs include blessing the wine, washing hands, dipping vegetables into salt water, and breaking the middle matzah, with half of it (the Afikomen) being hidden for later.

What is the main purpose of the Seder storytelling section?

The storytelling section primarily involves interactive readings and rabbinical discussions on the themes of liberation and redemption rather than a straightforward retelling of the Exodus story, as the rabbis assumed participants already knew it.

What is the significance of the Four Questions in the Seder?

The Four Questions, asked by the youngest child at the table, highlight the uniqueness of the Seder night and invite discussions on why certain customs are observed during Passover.

What happens after the storytelling part of the Seder?

After the storytelling, participants wash their hands again, eat matzah, consume a bitter herb (Maror), eat a matzah-maror sandwich, and then have the main meal, followed by a search for the Afikomen.

What does it mean when participants say 'Next year in Jerusalem' at the end of the Seder?

Saying 'Next year in Jerusalem' expresses hope for a time of peace and redemption, symbolized by the city of Jerusalem, and is traditionally said at the conclusion of the Seder.

How do Seder customs vary around the world?

Seders worldwide incorporate unique traditions, such as hitting each other with green onions in some communities, pouring water on the floor, or using plush plagues, reflecting cultural diversity within the holiday.