PASSOVER CELEBRATION ... Symbolic Foods ... What are they?

        
          

                         PASSOVER CELEBRATION         

                      The Symbolic Foods ... What are they?

             Passover ... What is it?   A celebration of freedom and life.

             Hebrews are spared from death and Moses leads them out of Egypt.

             For those of Jewish faith, Passover brings very special foods to their table.

             I have been to two Passover Seders and this is what I learned.  

                                                                

         Karpas - greens  -  symbol of life   The greens are dipped in salt water which

         represents tears and the lives of their ancestors immersed in tears because of

         their slavery in Egypt.

         Beitzah - egg  -  A roasted egg to bring to mind the roasted daily sacrifice

         they were to  make at the temple.

         Maror - bitter herb - Usually horseradish which should be eaten to bring tears

         to the eyes ... the reminder of the bitterness of their slavery in Egypt.

         Charoset - sweet mixture of chopped apples, chopped nuts, honey, cinnamon  

         and little Manischewitz  grape wine (kosher for Passover). This was symbolic

         of the mortar for the bricks they made in Egypt under the yoke of slavery.

       

         Shankbone of a lamb - Reminder of the perfect, sacrificed lamb. Its blood

         on the doorposts kept away the Angel of Death. This angel, seeing the blood,

         passed over their houses, sparing them. Thus the name given to this

         celebration of Passover.

 

             Being Cuban and having experienced my own exodus, I find these

             cultural traditions not only interesting but very moving.

 

                     Happy Passover, to my Jewish friends!