If you're a kid, or a kid at heart, one of the most fun traditions associated with Passover is hiding, and finding, the afikomen, or dessert matzah.
Learn
In the story we tell during the seder, we hear that when the Jews rushed to leave Egypt, they didn’t have time to wait around for their bread to rise. Instead, they took their dough with them and let it bake in the sun along the way.
Matzah, the flat, cracker-like unleavened bread we eat on Passover, is made from a simple dough of flour and water that must be assembled and baked in just 18 minutes, which is not enough time for it to rise into fluffy, soft bread. When setting up for a Passover seder (ritual meal), three pieces of matzah are stacked together on the table. At a certain point in the seder, the middle piece of that stack is broken in half, and one half becomes the afikomen (which literally means “dessert”).
Do
Traditionally, a grown-up hides the afikomen so that kids can search for it later. It’s great fun, but it’s also important—the seder can’t end until the afikomen (dessert!) is found. Alternatively, the children “steal” the matzah and hold it for “ransom.” In either case, a small reward is usually given. Depending on the age of the children attending the seder, you can make everyone a “winner” by giving a small gift to each child.
In the weeks and days prior to Passover, some Jewish families keep children excited about the coming holiday by letting them craft a fun wrap for the afikomen. Learn how to make your own afikomen bag.
Listen
Join in as a pirate joins the search for the afikomen!
Read
Looking for a cute book to read that shows children searching for the afikomen? Try these:
More
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March 3, 2025