Passover

The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th to the 22nd  of the Hebrew month of Nissan. It commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. And, by following the rituals of Passover, we have the ability to relive and experience the true freedom that our ancestors gained.

A Passover seder is a service held at home as part of the Passover celebration. It is always observed on the first night of Passover, and in some homes on the second night as well. On both nights, the seder concludes with a dinner. Participants use a book called the Haggadah to lead the service.

"Hagaddah" means "the telling," in Hebrew and it contains instructions for the seder, blessings and the Passover story.

The word "seder" literally means "order" in Hebrew. The name comes from the fact that there are 15 parts of the ritual service, all revolving around the upcoming Passover dinner.

The focal points of the seder are:

1. Eating Matzah

2. Eating Bitter Herbs- to commemorate the bitter slavery endured by the Israelites.

3. Drinking 4 cups of wine or grape juice (plus orange juice! in our family) - a royal drink to celebrate our newfound freedom.

4. The recitation of the liturgy of the Haggadah, that describes in detail the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The Hagaddah is the fulfillment of the biblical obligation to recount to our children the story of the Exodus on the night of Passover.

(the text was written by my Mother-in-Law)

Here's some pictures from our Seder

we finally got to use our wedding gifts!