The Feast of Passover

On the first night of Passover, it is a tradition that families get together for a special dinner called a seder.  This is a very important meal and so the table is set with the very best dishes and silverware. During the meal, the story is told of the Israelites escape from Egypt.  At different points in the story the children ask a set of questions:

1. Why is it on all other nights we eat either bread or matzo, but tonight we only eat matzo?
2. Why is it on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but tonight we only eat bitter herbs?
3. Why is it on other nights we don't dip at all, but tonight we dip twice?
4. Why do we eat either sitting or reclining on other nights, but tonight we eat only reclining?

The four questions are usually asked by the youngest person at the table.  Each of the answers is a reminder of the Israelites' escape from Egypt.

1. Matzo is eaten as a reminder of the unleavened bread because the Israelites did not have time to wait for the bread to rise before leaving Egypt.
2. The bitter herbs (usually horseradish) are a reminder of the bitterness of being a slave for the king of Egypt.
3. The first "dip" is usually parsely or green onions dipped in salt
   
   water as a reminder of the tears the slave shed and that they are grateful the ancestors were saved by God.  The second "dip" is mixing of the bitter herbs with sweet charoset which is a mixture of ground nuts, apples and wine.  The charoset looks like the mud the Israelites had to make into bricks when they were slaves.  The herbs and charoset are put on a piece of matzo and eaten together.
4. Reclining or relaxing at the table is a reminder that slaves do not recline at the dinner table.  Only free people can relax and enjoy their dinner.

Prayers are said and stories are told at a seder.  Each one is a reminder that God called the Israelites to be his people and brought them out of slavery.  

At the end of the dinner, it is a tradition to sing a song called, Chad Gadya which means "Little Goat."  It's a fun song to sing and also pretty funny which you can see from this video. In English it starts out like this:

One little goat, one little goat.
That Daddy bought for two zuzim,
one little goat, one little goat

With each new verse, something gets added.  (You'll see that in the video, but the song does NOT include a screaming goat.) The last verse in this version is:

Then came water
and quenched the fire,
that burnt the stick,
that beat the dog,
that bit the cat,
that ate the goat,
That Daddy bought for two zuzim,
one little goat, one little goat.

Have you ever been to a seder?  Tell us about your experiences in the Comments.