Focus on the Family has a great free resource for celebrating the Seder meal, a traditional Jewish meal to remember the Passover (Exodus 12:1-13). For a couple of years, we used "Simplified Seder Supper", but JP and I agree that we like this one a lot better. Each of the 15 steps is explained in more detail, as well as explaining the parallels to our Christian walk. This tradition is one of the highlights of our Lenten season.
The mother lights the candles and prays a blessing. We begin with our cups of juice that we will refill four different times throughout the meal, each with a different meaning. There is a symbolic place set for the prophet, Elijah.
The father washes his hands to symbolize the washing away of our sins.
Hiding the matzah
The youngest child asks the four questions as the father explains the meaning of Passover and reads the story from Exodus 12 while holding the lamb bone.
Eating of the bitter herbs, remembering the ten plagues and the eating of the charoset followed by sharing the charoset with the person on our right are the next steps.
The children find the "Afikomen" (matzah) that was hidden early. The father breaks it and gives each person a piece. We take and eat remembering His body broken for us. We drink from the cup remembering His blood that was shed for our sins.
We drink the third and fourth cups symbolizing redemption and praise. We finish with a Passover meal.
