On the next full moon, Monday April 10, Jewish families, all over the world will gather to hold a Passover Seder. Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt over 3000 years ago, and the formation of the Jewish nation.
The word “seder” means “order” in Hebrew. It refers to the 15 parts of the Seder ritual which are followed in a very specific sequence. In the retelling of the story, the goal is to relive the Exodus, both symbolically and vicariously, with tastes, sounds, sensations and smells. We do this to link our past to our future, to teach the next generation. This is no mean feat and can make for a long night!
Every family has their own unique customs and traditions. My youngest sister (I have 4) likes to decorate the table with items that symbolize the 10 plagues. Plastic jumping frogs, wild animals, cattle, and stale mini marshmallows (plague of hail). One year my mom covered the table in blue, green and purple jelly bellies to represent the River Nile. We have had Cadbury Cream Easter Eggs (much tastier than the roasted egg on the seder plate and the hard boiled egg dipped in saltwater we eat to represent the tears shed by the Israelites in slavery). I fully expect Dark Chocolate Moses this year.
That same sister is fond of making guest appearances at the Seder, dressed in various costumes. Some family members find this humorous. Others do not.
This year, I’m planning to get the party started by bringing little bags of Passover Party Mix to the table.
Salty, spicy, sweet and addictive. Not normally adjectives associated with a snack that contains matzoh and kosher for passover crispy o’s cereal! But, add mixed nuts, sugar, salt, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, coriander and smoked paprika and magic happens.
Watch the culinary alchemy occur.
Put them out on the table in little bowls, paper cones or little bags and let everyone munch. I doubt anyone will be offended.
Click here to print recipe for Passover Party Mix.
I truly love your holiday posts (with photos)! I have such a teeny tiny family and your enormous family celebrations (on both sides yet!) amaze and delight me. When our kids were little, we would vary the haggadot year to year. We had seders involving magic tricks, puppets, and always plagues flying through the air. Placemats to color and being in charge of sound effects kept the tiny ones either involved or just busy. 🙂 I am with the group who finds your sister’s costumes hysterical! Ok, so the seder has an important and serious message (today more than ever perhaps?), but smiling is good for your health! Love it! Now let’s talk party mix. I bet having this snack to munch on throughout the seder would keep people from constantly checking how many pages are left!
Cindy you are so thoughtful and creative!
They look yummy,can’t wait to try them.
Love
Faith
Xoxo
Ps I like hard boiled eggs dipped in salt better than Cadbury Cream Eggs, but I would enjoy dark chocolate Moses:).
Il love our Seder.What can be greater than to be surrounded by my greatest blessings.No mater where my family resides, near or far, they have my loving heart.On this special time most are near.You are the designated “cookie Angel” for Passover.This year your treats will be at the beginning of the Seder and also at the closing of the evening.I could not do Passover without the help of all my children.I am a most blessed mom.Thank you.
Haha, I love your sister’s costumes! But I bet’s they’re a bit terrifying ‘live’ 🙂 I really like that you use egg whites to make the spice and sugar mix stick to the nuts and matzoh. I’ve been wanting to make my own granola for a while now, but most recipes I see online use oil to make the flavoring stick to the nuts and grains. Egg whites sound like a great alternative! Healthier, too!