A Jewish Passover Seder (ritual dinner) can best be characterized by tradition and symbolism. Nothing is left to chance, with every dish and piece of cutlery and china being chosen for a specific reason and placed in a particular place on the table. Everything, starting with the china and silverware used on the occasion, followed by the dishes served and ending with the manner in which the food is served on the plate, plays a particular role in the celebration of the Passover.

Naturally, depending on whether Passover is celebrated in Israel or abroad, small changes can occur in the laying of the table or the choice of dishes.

However, a Seder plate, which is usually placed solitary on the table, should contain six main elements, which are central to the tradition of the holiday: the shankbone, Karpas, Chazeret, Charoset, Maror and eggs. The choice of the plate to place all these on can lead to either having a simple, white plate, or an amply decorated one, of expensive taste. In families with kids, the latter are strongly encouraged to decorate (paint) themselves the respective plates and then have the lady of the house use them for the Seder table.

The roasted lamb shankbone, also known as the “zeroah” is the most emblematic symbol of Passover, referring to the sacrifice of the paschal lamb made by the Israelites on the night of their fleeing from Egypt. In some interpretations, this shankbone can be seen as God’s arm stretched towards the Jews, as the word “zeroah” means also “arm”. As far as vegetarians are concerned, this piece of meat can be easily replaced with a roasted beet. This replacement does not affect the tradition itself as it is, in fact, part of the tradition – the Talmudic commentator Rashi suggested it in the eleventh century.

The roasted egg, also known as “baytsah” is considered, in many cultures, a symbol of springtime and renewal. In the Passover context it refers both to the sacrifices made in the Second Temple, as well as functioning as a metaphor for the strength manifested by the Jews throughout their history: the hotter you make it, the tougher they are likely to become. This egg is not even eaten during the meal, remaining on the plate. The only important aspect about it is that its shell should be well roasted.

A third ingredient to be found on this plate is “maror”, translated as “bitter herb”.Any kind of bitter herb can be used, but the most commonly used is horseradish. The choice of bitter herbs is symbolic, as their bitterness is likely to make one cry and thus remember the slavery of the Jewish people in Egypt. Passover celebrates the escape from this slavery, and, to a larger extent, it instills one with the strength to overcome his/her own “slavery” (be it addiction or habit), just like the Jews did centuries ago.

The Charoset is in fact a salad accompanying the above on the plate. It is made of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon and by its contents it appears to come together just as the mortar used by the Jews to make bricks in their slavery years in Egypt.

Karpas is usually a green vegetable (the most commonly used is parsley), which is dipped in liquid before being eaten. The choice of green vegetables is justified by their association with spring. Others claim that green vegetables are embodiments of nobility and aristocracy. In some cases, instead of green vegetables, one uses boiled potatoes. This is due to a long tradition going back to Europe, where it was difficult to find fresh green vegetables, even in spring. According to tradition, the Karpas is to be dipped in a bowl of salt water before being eaten. Thus, a bowl of salt water is present on the table, having an ambivalent significance: on the one hand it refers to the tears shed by the Jews during their slavery years, while on the other it symbolizes the sea, purity and even springtime. Another Passover tradition consists of all those present beginning their meal by eating a hard boiled egg (but not the roasted one ) dipped in salt water.

The Chazeret is similar to the Maror and is often used as a second bitter herb. The most usually eaten Chazeret on the occasion are lettuce or the green leaves of a horseradish or a carrot.

Matzah is the most important element placed on the Seder. It is customary to have three unleavened breads on the table called matzah (matzot for plural), covered with a cloth. During a specific moment in the ritual dinner, the largest of them is broken into unequal halves and the larger one is hidden, so as to be later found and eaten towards the end of the dinner. The small half is restored on the table between the other two. There are many possible symbolic meanings of the matzot. The most popular claims that each of the unleavened breads refers to a particular group of people: the Kohen class (as the priests of the ancient times were called), the Levis (the supporters of the priests) and finally, the Israelites.During Communism,a fourth bread was added to the table, symbolizing those Jews who lived under Communist regimes and found it impossible to celebrate Passover freely (as the Communist regimes were against religious manifestations of any kind). After the fall of Communism, this fourth bread was removed from the table, but some communities still have it, as a reminder of all those Jews who are not yet free to celebrate, even in the 21^st century.

As far as the drinks savored on the occasion are concerned, it is common to have four cups of wine (small cups, in fact) during the Passover Seder. These four cups represent the four promises of redemption made before the fleeing of Egypt: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people . . .”. The moment when each cup of wine is to be drank is mentioned in the Passover Haggadah ritual.

The manner of serving the food on the Passover Seder (except for the roasted lamb shankbone and the roasted egg which are to be left on the plate) differs from one community to another. According to tradition, they should all be served on one plate and everyone should help themselves from that plate. However, there is also the possibility of using smaller Seder plates for each participant to the dinner, or even bowls containing the Seder food, which could be thus passed from one person to another.

Taking everything into consideration, it appears that the Passover meal, despite being heavily loaded with tradition and symbolism, has also embraced contemporary ideas and means of celebrating.