Passover: When Freedom Meets Family Feasts and Hidden Matzah!

Friends, let me tell you about Passover (Pesach) - one of the most beloved Jewish holidays that combines deep history, delicious food (well, mostly), and family traditions that'll make you laugh and groan at the same time!

Passover celebrates the ancient Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt. But for modern kids, it mainly means: no school for a week and a treasure hunt for hidden matzah (the "afikoman")! 🔍

The Great Chametz Hunt 🧹

Before Passover begins, Jewish homes transform into cleaning marathons! We're searching for "chametz" - any leavened food products that aren't allowed during the holiday. Parents suddenly discover dust in places they ignored all year, and children are dragged into cleaning operations that would impress military generals!

The Seder: A Theatrical Dinner 🍷

The highlight is the Seder night - a ceremonial dinner following a script (the Haggadah) that tells the Exodus story. We dip vegetables in salt water (representing tears), eat bitter herbs (for slavery's bitterness), and recline on cushions (because free people can relax!). Kids take turns asking the Four Questions, starting with "Why is this night different from all other nights?" - though most are just waiting for their turn to find the afikoman and negotiate their prize! 💰

About 10 years ago I attended a Christian Seder at a Jerusalem church to support a friend who had lost her mother. It was fascinating to learn how Passover was celebrated in Jesus's time - essentially what Christians refer to as "The Last Supper." I found myself wondering if Jesus stood on his chair as a child, 2000 years ago, to ask the Simple Son's question, or if he ever found the afikoman and received a gift! These human connections across traditions were surprisingly moving.

The Passover Plate and Food Coma 🍽️

The Seder plate holds symbolic foods: egg (life), shank bone (sacrifice), bitter herbs (suffering), charoset (mortar the slaves made), and more. After reading, singing, and discussing for what feels like FOREVER to hungry participants, we finally eat a feast that guarantees food coma for days!

And don't get me started on those chocolate-covered marshmallow treats that appear everywhere during Passover - eventually leaving everyone slightly nauseous but unable to stop eating them! 🍫

Whether you're Jewish or not, there's something universal about Passover's themes of freedom, family gathering, and food. Lots and lots of food. Chag Sameach! 🌟