Passover is one of the three major Jewish festivals, and it also has strict Kosher certification requirements for Kosher food. The Passover seder is part of the Passover celebration held at home. It is always held on the first night of Passover, and in some families on the second night as well. On both nights, it concludes with the seder meal. Participants use the text called the Haggadah to lead the process. 'Haggadah' means 'telling' in Hebrew; it contains the seder instructions, blessings and the story of Passover.

'Seder' literally means 'order' in Hebrew. This ritual has 15 steps, all centered on the Passover meal. Food is an important symbolic element of Passover. If you would like to learn more about the symbolic meaning of Kosher food in the seder, you may enjoy this article.

The following is a brief explanation of the fifteen parts.

1. Kadesh - In this part of the seder, each participant's cup is filled with wine or grape juice, which is drunk after reciting the Kiddush (the blessing ritual on the eve of festivals and the Sabbath).

2. Urchatz (washing the hands) - Water is poured over the hands, symbolizing ritual purity.

3. Karpas (green vegetable) - Lettuce, cucumber, radish or parsley is dipped in salt water and eaten. People sometimes say that the salt water represents the tears of the Israelites' ancestors during their enslavement.

4. Yachatz (breaking the matzah) - On the seder table, there are always three pieces of matzah on the plate. The seder leader needs to break one piece of matzah in half. The smaller half is placed back on the plate between the other two pieces of matzah. The larger half becomes the 'afikomen,' which is hidden and later searched for by the children.

5. Maggid (telling the Passover story) - Seder participants retell the story of the Exodus. The youngest person at the table (usually a child) begins by asking four questions, each centered on 'Why is this night different from all other nights?' Attendees take turns reading the Haggadah to answer these questions. People have the opportunity for self-reflection and discussion. At the end of this part of the seder, a second cup of wine is poured. The Ten Plagues of Egypt are read aloud, and during this segment people discuss the various symbolic meanings of the seder plate, and then they may drink this wine!

6. Rachtzah - Participants wash their hands again, this time saying the appropriate blessing. After saying the blessing, they do not speak until the blessing over the matzah is said.

FAQ

What is the Passover seder, and what does it follow?
The seder is part of the Passover celebration held at home, always concluding with the seder meal on the first night of Passover (and the second night in some families). Participants use the Haggadah (Hebrew for 'telling') to lead the entire process, which contains the seder instructions, blessings and the story of Passover. 'Seder' literally means 'order,' and the entire ritual has 15 steps, all centered on the Passover meal.
What are the first few steps at the start of the seder?
The first few steps are: (1) Kadesh—filling cups with wine or grape juice, drunk after the Kiddush blessing; (2) Urchatz—washing hands, symbolizing ritual purity; (3) Karpas—dipping green vegetables in salt water (the salt water symbolizing the ancestors' tears during enslavement); (4) Yachatz—breaking the matzah in half, with the larger half hidden as the afikomen for children to find; (5) Maggid—retelling the story of the Exodus, begun by the youngest asking questions; (6) Rachtzah—washing hands again and saying a blessing.