Words by: Maggie Laubscher | Music by: Abby Yemm

Image credit: Classic Ceramic Seder Plate by Rite Lite Judaica

It’s early spring, and with it brings Passover and the opening seder meal and its centerpiece, the seder plate. The exact dates of the Jewish holiday change yearly, with this year’s Passover commencing at sundown today, March 27, and running through sundown on April 4.

Passover celebrates Jewish people being freed from slavery in Egypt, based on a story in the Bible. Passover is celebratory and powerful, with symbols of springtime, Jewish homeland and history, family, social justice, and of course, freedom.

To usher in Passover, believers host a seder meal with the seder plate as centerpiece. It's often one large centerpiece, though it can also be individual seder plates for everyone at the table.

Seder, which means ‘to order’ in Hebrew, is a home ritual that blends religion, food, song, and storytelling. Families typically hold a seder on the first and sometimes second night of Passover, according to Time.com.

The rituals of seder are many and meaningful. There is a specific order to the rituals, including the food is enjoyed, the songs are sung, and the stories are told. A partitioned plate -- the seder plate -- holds small portions of symbolic foods. Below, we break down the elements of a seder plate, both old and new.

And if you prefer to order in your seder, Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen has a prix-fixe seder meal for you.

A ROASTED SHANK BONE

The roasted shank bone is also called the zeroah. The bone symbolizes the sacrificial lamb. While it’s not eaten, it’s an important part of the traditional seder plate.

HARD-BOILED EGG

The hard-boiled egg represents springtime and the circle of life. It’s a time of renewal for Jewish people, and the egg symbolizes this during the meal.

BITTER HERBS

Bitter herbs, such as horseradish, are used to represent the horror of slavery. The herbs are meant to convey the bitterness and difficulties of life as a slave in Egypt.

The haroset, also spelled charoset, is a sweet mixture of wine, dried fruit, and nuts. The mixture represents the mortar used by Hebrew slaves to build structures for the Egyptians. Recipe to try: Traditional Apple-Walnut Charoset by Adeena Sussman for Epicurious (pictured above)

Image source: Epicurious

PARSLEY

Parsley or other greens, also called karpas, represents the spring season along with the egg.

AN ORANGE

A newer tradition is including an orange on your seder plate. This idea took hold in the 1980s to represent solidarity with gay Jews and all marginalized Jewish people. The orange was chosen to symbolize the sweetness they bring to the table.

Olives are sometimes included on the seder plate as a symbol of peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Image credit: Daniel Agudelo

COFFEE OR CHOCOLATE

Fair trade coffee or chocolate have also been featured at seder to symbolize workers' rights.

An Abby Yemm playlist for you…

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