Preparing Food For The Passover Seder
Lamb – roast a leg of lamb (or brisket). You’ll need enough lamb for everyone. We typically make a meal of it. I also roast potatoes and carrots with rosemary and olive oil.
Bitter Herbs - Maror – For the bitter herbs we use horseradish. We like to get the hot variety of prepared horseradish. It should bring tears to the eyes.
Saltwater – a small cup of salt ater should be at each place or one between every two place settings. The saltwater represents tears, and the parsley will be dipped in the saltwater.
Parsley – Karpas/Hyssop - Every person will need a stem of parsley. This represents the life God has given and also they hyssop the Israelites used in Egypt.
Apple mixture – Kharoset – This is a mixture of diced apples, chopped nuts, cinnamon & honey. Sometimes wine or grape juice is added. This reminds the Israelites of the mortar they used for the bricks as they worked as slaves in Egypt.
Matzah – these special crackers (large crackers similar to rye crisp) can be purchased around the time of Passover. We have been able to find them at Hy-Vee. Every place needs at least one of these crackers, but we put two at each place. Also, the leader will need an additional cracker for the Afikomen which will be broken to represent the trinity and then used as a symbol of the Messiah. Also, a white linen napkin will be needed for hiding the Afikomen.
We serve meringue and fruit for dessert as is very common in Jewish households at Passover. This dessert doesn’t have any flour or leaven.
Setting The Seder Table
It is best to eat reclining, as the Israelites would have following the first Passover.
You will need candles on the table. The number is irrelevant, but some people light 12 candles – for the 12 tribes or the 12 apostles. The woman of the house lights the candles, signifying that a woman brought forth the light of the world when Mary gave birth to Jesus.
You will need at least one large basin of water and a few cloths for the handwashing ceremony. It is best for the host to do the handwashing – or you could go as far as doing a foot washing like Jesus did. This was one of the moments in the Passover meal Jesus celebrated with the disciples where he showed them how he was going to be the one who would serve them and cleanse them.
There are decisions to be made about how to handle the “glasses of wine.” We’ve seen this done multiple ways. Most people set the table with one wine glass at each place setting and one water glass. Then after each glass is consumed, it is refilled. We have used four dixie cups for the “wine.” This way, every place setting has the four glasses before the dinner begins, and we don’t have to worry about refilling. This also limits quantity so that we don’t have to purchase as much grape juice and don’t have to worry about running out if someone fills a large glass too full every time. There is always a full glass left in the center of the table for Elijah. We use grape juice in place of wine.
Every person at the table should have a script (called a Haggadah) so that they can participate in the readings. There are different parts to be read that need to be identified before the meal. Also, the woman of the house and the youngest child will each have a part.
There will be a break in the Seder when the meal is eaten (lamb, potatoes, carrots).
Toward the end of the meal, a hymn or song of worship is usually sung. We sing, “10,000 Reasons.”
