The Passover Food Recipes Cooking International Guide
The Passover And The Seder Meal
By Katerina Octanova
It had been an extraordinary journey. Following years of slavery,
oppression and the slaughter of their innocent infants, the Israelites
had finally received permission to leave Egypt with Moses, but
only after God rained down ten hideous plagues on Pharaoh’s land.
Through the desert with little to eat, some felt they couldn’t
go on as men, women and children marched with faith behind the
prophet Moses to Canaan. Finally, when they built the Tabernacle,
they began to celebrate an annual feast called the Passover to
give thanks that the merciful Lord had passed over their homes
during the plagues and to celebrate their liberation.
The Most Celebrated Of All Jewish Holidays
Pesach, or the Passover, is the most celebrated of all Jewish
holidays, and more than 80% of Jews celebrate Passover and attend
a Seder. Today, the Seder meal is the most traditional way of
celebrating. There is also a Haggadah, which is an interactive
storytelling based on Holy Scripture.
Candles are lit and a prayer is offered blessing the Cup of Sanctification.
Participants wash their hands to stand with "clean hands
and pure hearts" before God. Next, each person takes bitter
herbs, dips them into salt water and eats them. The head of the
family breaks three flat cakes of unleavened Matzah bread, wrapping
half in white linen for dessert and passing the rest to his family.
Passover Seder Plate
A Passover Seder plate contains many symbolic items. Maror (freshly
grated horseradish with cooked beets and sugar) and Chazeret (bitter
Romaine lettuce) are used to symbolize the bitterness and harshness
of Jewish slavery, as told in the Exodus from Egypt story. Charoset
(chopped walnuts, grated apples, cinnamon and sweet red wine)
represents the Jews’ building up of storefronts in Egypt.
Karpas (parsley, celery or boiled potato dipped in saltwater)
symbolizes the pain of the Jews while living on simple diets in
Egypt. Z’roa (roasted lamb or goat shank bone or chicken wing/neck)
commemorates the Pesach sacrifice offered in the Temple of Jerusalem,
and Beitzah (roasted egg) represents the festival sacrifice offered
in the Temple of Jerusalem.
The Preparation For The Passover
Not only is the preparing of the meal an important aspect of
the Passover, but so is the preparation. All Chametz (including
alcoholic beverages, yeast, sourdough, cakes or grain products)
must be cleared out of the house either by burning, selling or
giving away before Passover begins.
Silverware that has come into contact with Chametz must be boiled
prior to use. This time of year, an extensive spring cleaning
is undertaken to ensure that every bit of Chametz is removed from
the house. It is important that all food is kosher for Passover.
About the Author:
Katerina Octanova has written a number of articles on food and
cooking including Christmas
Gift Baskets, The
Christmas, Christmas,
Santa
Claus, Christmas
Hamper, Christmas
Party, Christmas
Gift For The Office, Christmas
Gift Idea For Family.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
Easter is a holiday that is celebrated all across the world by
Christians. It marks the time when Jesus Christ arose from the
grave. Many families gather together for the modern custom of
having a family meal and hiding eggs for the children to find.
Often there are small gifts exchanged in baskets. If you are wondering
what to put in your child’s basket, you have a wide variety of
choices ranging from small religious icons to chocolates. You
can do all of your shopping from the comfort of your own home.
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