Passover combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration.

Representing our joy at the dawning of spring after our long, cold winter we eat a piece of a green vegetable - celery - in this case. Some families from Eastern Europe have a tradition of using a boiled potato since in the past, greens were hard to come by at Passover time. Either way it is a symbol of spring and sustenance. We now dip it into salt water, a symbol of the tears our ancestors shed as slaves. Before we eat it, we recite a short blessing:

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

We say thank you for the privilege of eating the fruits of the earth.

We look forward to spring and the reawakening of flowers and greenery. They haven’t been lost, just buried beneath the snow, getting ready for reappearance. Sometimes we lose sight of things, as they get buried under the work of our busy lives.

What are you looking forward to this spring?


haggadah Section: Karpas