Thinking of hosting your own Passover Seder dinner with your family? Unsure what you need to prepare for it? These are 8 preparation tips you will need for planning the special Passover dinner with your loved ones.
The Passover Seder Dinner Checklist
The Passover is a Jewish holiday commemorating the Jews’ escape from slavery in ancient Egypt. If your loved ones celebrate Passover, then they are surely planning Seders and holding Jewish ritual services. As the ceremony begins at sunset and lasts for eight days, you may be wondering what you’ll need for this special holiday. Here is a list of things you’ll need to prepare for the Seder dinner!
- Pillows: You should place a pillow on each chair to encourage everyone to recline comfortably at the Seder table. This tradition is observed in honor of the forefathers who had few comforts as slaves and symbolizes that they are free from slavery and can sit or lean on a pillow as much as they want.
- Haggadah: A Haggadah is a prayer book used during the Passover and is ideally required for everyone to have at the table. The Haggadah, which means ‘telling’, is recited during the Passover celebration as part of a sequence of rites done by Jewish households.
- Seder Plate: The Seder plate is a unique plate that contains symbolic items that are eaten or presented during the Passover Seder. The plate usually includes Maror (bitter herbs), Chazeret (a bitter vegetable such as Romaine lettuce), Beitzah (roasted egg), Karpas (a leafy vegetable such as parsley), Zeroa (shark bone of a lamb), and Charoset (a mixture of apples, wine, nuts, cinnamon, and other spices)
- Matzah: Matzah is an unleavened flatbread that is a staple of Jewish cuisine and a key feature of the Passover festival when chametz is prohibited. Three pieces of Matzah should be placed in a special holder or plate for the seder.
- Kiddush Cups: The Kiddush cup is used by the seder leader. It is used to sanctify and elevate the Kiddush which is then set on a dish or tray to catch any spilled wine. Oftentimes, a silver goblet is used, however any cup can suffice.
- Red Wine: Red wine is often consumed during the seder. At the seder, drinking four glasses of wine is considered a mitzvah. Wine can be replaced with grape juice.
- Bowl of Water and Towel: During the seder, a bowl of water and a towel are used for ritual handwashing and drying. If you prefer moistened towelettes, you may wish to use them instead.
- Salt Water: The salt water symbolizes the bitter and salty tears poured by the forefathers while enslaved for many years. It’s placed next to the Seder plate in a small bowl. The karpas is then dipped into it.
Relax and Enjoy at Mariposa
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