HOSTING A SEDER

The Seder Plate holds the different ingredients that are used in the haggadah to prove a specific point in the Exodus story and make it really come to life.  For example, horseradish is eaten to experience the same bitterness that the Israelites felt.

The Haggadah is the book that is used to help retell the Exodus story partnered with the ingredients on the special seder plate.  You eat and drink throughout the story to make it really come to life.  Usually, everyone has their own copy so they can follow along.

Honestly, whatever you want!  Many Jewish traditions start with lighting candles, and most haggadahs have a spot for you to light candles and say a blessing.  So, you might want to have some candles.

Go through your haggadah and make sure you have the ingredients for the specific sections you want to do.  Want to dip the parsley in salt water to remember the tears of the Israelites?  Make sure you have a bowl of salt water.  

The first seder I ever did by myself, we paused multiple times so I could run to the kitchen and grab the ingredient we needed for that section reading. It's still special and definitely memorable!

Keep in mind, the seder itself, along with the haggadah are not Biblically commanded.  This is you making traditions with your family, not perfectionism.

The Dollar Tree has an amazing selection for catering supplies.  It makes the seder a little more fancy since it's a holiday, but also affordable and easy cleanup.  They have small bowls, and even trays with dividers already in them.  If you're putting multiple foods on a plate, you might want small bowls to keep the horseradish out of the apple charoset.  You'll need a couple extra spoons to scoop out the horseradish and charoset too.  Maybe you don't want to do multiple plates.  You could use the bowls and just have the ingredients spread out on the table. 

Since the Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Passover, we generally take all of the leavening out of our house, including foods that have already been prepared with leavening such as cookies and even pita chips.

It's also a good idea to set the table a few days ahead and think about where things will go.  You might not have room to put the meal on the table, and you can figure that out ahead of time instead of the night of Passover.  Think about where you'll put the seder elements, plates and glasses for each person, and how you're serving the food for the meal.  Setting the table ahead of time will help reduce stress but also helps you remember all of the elements for the seder.

Any meal prep you can do ahead of time, do it.  Clean or chop any fruits and vegetables in the days ahead.  You can make the charoset in advance. If you need a shank bone for your seder plate, maybe plan on roasting a chicken for your meal and saving a bone.

If you're having extended family come over, you can serve fruits and veggies with hummus, pimento cheese dip, and a goat cheese dip while you wait for everyone to arrive.  All of these dips can be made ahead of time, and not only will you look like a boss pulling off all of these appetizers, but the dips are great for using all during the week for the Feast of Unleavened bread on your matzo.