The next item on our plate is the karpas: the vegetable representing spring. Many families use a green leafy vegetable because the green makes people think about freshness, coming alive, being healthy- all the wonderful things that go along with freedom. But when families do not have enough resources they can't always get fresh fruits and vegetables. When our family lived in Eastern Europe it was also difficult to get fresh green vegetables, so our tradition is to use what those ancestors ate instead: potatoes. When we say the blessing we feel blessed that all of us here can eat fresh and healthy vegetables every day, and we dip in the saltwater to not only remember the tears our people shed as slaves, but also to remember all of the children who still do not have access to fresh, green vegetables.
haggadah Section: Karpas