How did the 15 steps of the Seder come to be?  

The Sages designed the Passover Seder as 15 steps to make you enormously successful. Here's the key to unlocking the code.

Passover is a time when any Jew embarks on a personal journey from slavery to freedom.  In order to guide us in our quest, the Sages carefully wrote a book outlining 15 steps to freedom. It's called the Haggadah. The Sages say that Passover occurs on the 15th of Nissan (the Jewish month), to teach us that just as the moon waxes for 15 days, so too our growth must be in 15 gradual steps. Think of these as 15 pieces of the Passover puzzle. Assemble them all and you've got freedom!

Would people add a section? Take one away?  Experiment by doing the whole thing backwards with a Reverse Seder:  https://www.haggadot.com/haggadah/moholo-reverse-seder  

Traditionally, we recline while at the Passover Seder, as we are free to relax like royalty!  Many people even have pillows to help them recline comfortably.

The word “Seder” literally means “order” – and in the case of Passover, we call the evening meal / storytelling gathering a Seder because there are 15 traditional steps observed in order.

Seders often go late into the night - and sometimes even into the next morning! 

 We don’t know the longest seder on record, but we do know where to go if you’re looking for a 10-minute version: https://www.haggadot.com/haggadah/10-minute-dayenu-seder

The Seder Plate is traditionally comprised of 6 symbolic foods that help tell the story of the Exodus. But did you know there are many non-traditional symbolic items people now place on their plates, like oranges and olives? 

What if you are vegan?  We are about to blow your mind!  Check out how you can change up this holiday staple: https://www.haggadot.com/clip/crowded-vegan-seder-plate

During Passover, the Coca-Cola bottling company of New York makes Coke that is kosher for Passover. Sugar is used instead of corn syrup, because many people don’t consider corn to be Kosher for Passover.

“Let all who are hungry come and eat” is one of the traditional rallying cries of the Passover Seder. 

How are you addressing issues of hunger in your community?

Want to get involved in the fight against hunger? Visit https://www.haggadot.com/contributors-details/mazon for more info!

Children traditionally play an important role in the Passover celebration. During the Seder, the youngest child at the table generally asks “The 4 Questions”, in order to inspire questions throughout the evening. 

How old is the youngest child at your seder this year?

Coloring Book Haggadah, fun for all ages: https://www.haggadot.com/haggadah/coloring-book-haggadah-1

Need a refresher on those Four Questions?  We've got translations and interpretations here: https://www.haggadot.com/clip-search?type=clip&key=&section%5B7%5D=7

The Passover story has gotten the Hollywood treatment.  Shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gossip Girl, and Rugrats have had episodes centered around Passover. 

Which is your favorite?

Traditionally, the day before Passover starts is a fast day for firstborn children, in commemoration of having been spared of the 10th Plague: the death of Egypt’s firstborn. 

In many Persian and Mizrahi communities, people hit each other with scallions when singing Dayenu. 

It symbolizes springtime, but also recalls the whipping of Hebrew slaves by their Egyptian taskmasters.

Matzah traditionally suitable for Passover is made from flour and water. That’s it. Nothing else.

Have you ever made matzah from scratch?  Show us your finished homemade Matzah.

Don’t have a recipe?  We’ve got you covered!  Here is a simple recipe for the whole family to enjoy! https://pjlibrary.org/beyond-books/pjblog/april-2019/how-to-make-your-own-matzah

Any leavened product made from major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) is considered Chametz.

With our guests around the table, Passover offers us a perfect place to raise awareness of today's social injustices. For our Seders, the food choices we make matter. The inclusion of contemporary symbols will teach others.

Try a new kind of Social Justice Seder this year and spark conversation about how we will all work to make the world a safer and more liberated place now.

Here’s one example of a Social Justice haggadah: https://www.haggadot.com/haggadah/haggadah-justice

Charoset symbolically reminds us of the mortar used by the Israelite slaves when making bricks to construct Egyptian cities. As a result, in Gibraltar, there’s a custom of mixing actual dust from bricks into the charoset!

Would you ever jump on this tradition train?

Charoset – a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine blended into a paste and traditionally consumed during the Passover Seder symbolizing mortar.  This year, try a make-your-own-charoset-bar for your family to create their own delicious flavors.

Charoset ice cream exists.  Ben & Jerry’s makes a Kosher for Passover Charoset ice cream flavor that’s only sold in Israel. 

The Ashkenazi charoset flavor is described as "vanilla-based with apples, cinnamon, and lots of walnuts."

Would you try charoset ice cream?

Passover is the oldest continually celebrated Jewish festival.

Did you know spring cleaning has its roots in Passover? Before the holiday, we thoroughly clean our houses, making sure there’s no chametz. 

There’s a tradition to search one’s home for any lingering chametz by candlelight the night before the holiday begins – with a feather and wooden spoon to sweep up any crumbs you might find. The crumbs, spoon, candle and feather are then burned the next morning!  

Need a how-to guide? Watch here! https://www.haggadot.com/clip/search-chametz-bedikat-chametz-how-do-it-your-family-0

 Yes, even pets get to join in on the Passover fun. 

For Passover, houses must be free of chametz and that is even true for your pets.  In keeping with this tradition, many families change their pets’ diets or buy them special food during Passover.

The first American edition of the Haggadah was published in 1837.

Pre-Covid, the world’s largest Seder each year was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, with over 1,000 attendees annually!

Makes your Seder look small now doesn’t it.  Imagine your Bubbe cooking for those people!  Oy the shmaltz she’d need!!

Maxwell House isn’t your regular coffee company.  Though Maxwell House is not a Jewish company, over the past nine decades the brand has distributed more than 60 million Haggadot!.

The brand’s Haggadah was born through a partnership with an advertising agency in 1923 to run a campaign informing the Jewish public that Maxwell House coffee was Kosher for Passover.

Who doesn’t love a good matzah ball?  The World's Largest recorded matzo ball on record was made in Tucson, Arizona in 2010, weighing 488 pounds, and measuring 106 inches in diameter. Ingredients included more than 1,000 eggs, 25 pounds of chicken fat, and 125 pounds of matzo meal. 

Are you Team Dense or Team Fluffy?

“Second Passover” is a “make-up” date set aside a month after the holiday so that if for some reason you were unable to celebrate during the actual holiday, there’s a designated time for you to still celebrate the holiday! It’s just that important!

Afikoman is the Greek word for “dessert!”