What Is a Seder?

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The Seder is a feast that includes reading, drinking wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions.

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As per Biblical command, it is held after nightfall on the first night of Passover (and the second night if you live outside of Israel), the anniversary of our nation’s miraculous exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago. This year’s Seder(s) will be on April 8 (and 9), 2020.

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What’s on the Menu?

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During the course of the evening you will have:

• four cups of wine.

• veggies dipped in saltwater.

• flat, dry cracker-like bread called matzah

• bitter herbs, often horseradish (without additives) and romaine lettuce, dipped into charoset (a paste of nuts, apples, pears and wine).

• a festive meal that may contain time-honored favorites, like chicken soup and gefilte fish.

Each item has its place in a 15-step choreographed combination of tastes, sounds, sensations and smells that have been with the Jewish people for millennia.

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What Do We Use?

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Ceremonial foods are all arranged on a platter, called a ka’arah or Seder plate. There may be one ka’arah for the entire Seder, or several.

• The procedure is all laid out in a book called a Haggadah. Although the text is in Hebrew (with a sprinkling of Aramaic), it is perfectly acceptable to read the Haggadahin translation if you don’t understand Hebrew.