Passover Seders provide meaningful traditionsSage cohen
The holiday of Passover honors the biblical narrative of Exodus, in which God delivered the Jews from Egyptian slavery. The Old Testament's book of Exodus contains instructions on how to observe Passover (in Judaism, the first five books of Moses are called the Torah). Often observed for eight days (seven in Israel), the festival contains themes of spring, a Jewish homeland, family, remembering Jewish history, social justice and freedom, especially recognizing those who are still subjected to oppression today. During the Passover seder, each of these topics is discussed, if not symbolically depicted.
The physical act of lighting the candles signals the start of the seder, signaling a period of transition from the end of the day to a new day. It is a Jewish tradition to light candles and recite a blessing over them. Because of how crucial it is to maintain the brittle spark of freedom in the world, lighting the candles is a significant aspect of the Passover festival.
This is called a seder plate. The Seder plate contains six things: Karpas (a green vegetable, most often parsley), Haroset (sweet fruit paste symbolizing mortar), Maror (bitter herb, often horseradish), Zeroa (shank bone), the Beitzah (egg) and Hazeret (second bitter herb, often Romaine lettuce).
Inside the decorative cover, contains the Afikomen. To start the seder, you divide the middle piece of matzah into two pieces. You then put the smaller half between the other two matzahs and set aside the larger half by putting it in a bag or a cloth. Once the Seder dinner is finished, the reserved matzah, known as the Afikoman, is eaten as "dessert." Some people have the tradition of hiding the Afikoman and having the kids find it and return it only in exchange for a promised gift.
Traditionally, salt-water-flavored hard-boiled eggs are served to start the Passover dinner. The egg represents hope and a fresh start, while the salty water represents the tears of life.
"The korech sandwich represents the bitter and sweet that coexist in our world, and our responsibility to tip the scales toward sweetness, justice and redemption," Haggadot.com said.
The Haggadah is the Passover book that is read aloud at dinner while the leader reclines. The book tells the story of Exodus through prayers and songs.
A Seder dinner is not complete without a comforting bowl of Matzo ball soup. Matzo balls represent the unleavened bread that the Jewish people ate in the desert to survive their flight from Egypt. They are a cultural symbol and remembrance of past struggles for Ashkenazi Jews.
A Seder meal can range from family to family. Most commonly among Ashkenazi Jews generally include gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, brisket or roast chicken, potato kugel (somewhat like a casserole) and vegetables.