Why do we dip our food in salt water two times on this night? The first time, the salty taste reminds us of the tears we cried when we were slaves. Our ancestors were crying out to God... screaming and shouting...

As Britney sings:

I wanna scream and shout and let it all out
And scream and shout and let it out
We sayin' oh we oh, we oh, we oh
We sayin' oh we oh, we oh, we oh

Parsley and celery are symbols of all kinds of spring greenery. The second time, the salt water and the green can help us to remember the ocean and green plants and the Earth, from which we get the water and air and food that enable us to live.

We now dip our greens into the salt water and recite:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה:

Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, borei p’ree ha-adama.

We praise God, Ruler of Everything, who creates the fruits of the earth.


haggadah Section: Karpas