It’s almost time for Passover! If you’re hosting the seder, a festive meal that kicks off Passover this year, you’ll need a special centerpiece – your very own seder plate.
A seder plate holds symbols of the Passover story. Karpas — a green vegetable, often parsley — is dipped in salt water to remind us of the tears of the enslaved Israelites. A sweet fruit paste called charoset (from the Hebrew word cheres, “clay”) is like the mortar that the Israelites used to construct buildings for the Egyptian empire. Maror, a bitter herb (usually horseradish), recalls the bitterness of slavery. It is sometimes joined by hazeret, a second bitter herb. A roasted lamb shank bone, zeroah, is a reminder of the offering the Jews made before leaving Egypt. (Vegetarian families will sometimes use a beet instead). Lastly, the beitzah — a roasted or hard-boiled egg — stands for the offering made on every holiday in the days when the Temple stood. That’s one powerful centerpiece!
This Activity Works With These Books:
Supplies
- Large paper plate
- 6 mini cupcake liners
- Glue
- Markers
Directions
- Glue the cupcake liners around the edge of the paper plate.
- Use the markers to label each liner with the name of one of the seder plate items, and add colorful drawings around the rest of the plate (this is a celebration, after all).
- Fill the plate with the seder items.
- Display proudly at your family’s seder.
More
7 Passover Books to Read With Your Preschooler
Getting Kids Involved During Passover
Planning a Child-Friendly Seder
Printable Paper Passover Scene
Find more Passover crafts and activities on the PJ Library Passover hub.
February 15, 2019