The Order of the Seder

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Our Passover meal is called a seder, which means “order” in Hebrew, because we go through specific steps as we retell the story of our ancestors’ liberation from slavery. The seder unfolds according to an elaborate script called the Haggadah, of which there are many modern versions. First, the table is set and the candles are lit. Then, the following steps take place in the order below.

Each of these 15 steps is summarized and explained below:

Kadeish : Sanctification
A blessing is recited over wine in honor of the holiday. A second cup is then poured and left on the table.
Ur'chatz : Washing
Participants wash their hands without a blessing in preparation for eating the Karpas .
Karpas : Vegetable
A vegetable (usually parsley) is dipped in salt water and eaten. The vegetable symbolizes the lowly origins of the Jewish people; the salt water symbolizes the tears shed as a result of our slavery.
Yachatz: Breaking
The middle of the three matzot on the table is broken into two pieces. The smaller part is returned to the pile, the larger one is set aside for the afikoman (see below).
Magid : The Story
A retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt and the first Pesach. This begins with the youngest person asking The Four Questions, a set of questions about the proceedings designed to encourage participation in the seder. The Magid is designed to satisfy the needs of four different types of people: the wise ones, who want to know the technical details; the wicked ones, who exclude themselves (and learn the penalty for doing so); the simple ones, who need to know the basics; and the ones who are unable to ask, who don't even know enough to know what they need to know. At the end of the Magid , a blessing is recited over the second cup of wine.
Rachtzah : Washing
Participants wash their hands again, this time with a blessing, in preparation for eating the matzah.
Motzi : Blessing over Grain Products
HaMotzi , the blessing for bread or grain products used as a meal, is recited over the matzah.
Matzah : Blessing over Matzah
A blessing specific to matzah is recited, and a bit of matzah is eaten.
Maror : Bitter Herbs
A blessing is recited over a bitter vegetable (usually raw horseradish; sometimes romaine lettuce), and it is eaten. This gesture symbolizes the bitterness of slavery. The maror is dipped in charoset, often a mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon and wine, which symbolizes the mortar used by the Jews in building during their slavery.
Koreich : The Sandwich
Rabbi Hillel was of the opinion that the maror should be eaten together with matzah and the paschal offering in a sandwich. In his honor, we eat some maror on a piece of matzah, with some charoset.
Shulchan Oreich : Dinner
A festive meal is eaten. There is no particular requirement regarding what to eat at this meal (except, of course, that chametz cannot be eaten).
Tzafun : The Afikoman
The piece of matzah set aside earlier is eaten as “dessert,” the last food of the meal. Different families have different traditions relating to the afikoman . Some have the children hide it, while the parents have to either find it or ransom it back. Others have the parents hide it, with a small prize given to the finder.
Barech : Grace after Meals
The third cup of wine is poured, and Birkat HaMazon (Grace after Meals) is recited. This is similar to the grace that would be recited on any Shabbat, but with the special insertion for Passover. At the end, a blessing is said over the third cup of wine and it is drunk. The fourth cup is poured, including a cup set aside for the prophet Elijah, who is supposed to herald the Messiah, and is supposed to come on Pesach to do so. The door is then opened to invite Elijah into our homes.
Hallel : Praises
The standard group of psalms that make up a full Hallel is recited at this point. A blessing is recited over the last cup of wine.
Nirtzah : Closing
A simple statement that the seder has been completed, with a wish that next year, we may celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem (i.e., that the Messiah will come within the next year). The closing may be followed by various traditional songs, hymns and stories.