Passover Prep

I know, I know.... it's not even Purim yet and I'm talking about Passover. But Passover takes a bit more preparation than the other holidays, so I thought I would share some info that was helpful to us.

If this will be your first time celebrating Passover or if you just want to try it out and see what you think of it, this is a great deal. I prefer the pewter seder plate and cup, but they can get very pricey. In fact, you can find sets made of just about any material, and the prices can get outrageous. The glass sets are beautiful, but too fragile for me, especially considering the cost and risk. Anyway, this set is a great starter set, especially if you are not sure you want to continue celebrating it. Not only does it include the seder plate and cup (and materials for teacing kids), it also has two Haggadah and a cassette of the songs and prayers! That was the best part for me. Even with a songsheet in front of me, it was too hard to figure out tunes to the songs. We have a Haggadah from Chosen People Ministries that I bought when they were here three years ago, but having multiple copies is a bonus (to see an awesome video, go to their homepage. I couldn't figure out how to either post it here or link directly to it). This set does not come with the matzah tash, but that is easy to make for anyone with even basic sewing skills.

For those who have no idea what I am talking about here, I will give short definitions:

Passover- a celebration of remembrance of when the Angel of Death passed over the houses of the Israelites where blood was seen on the doorpost while killing the firstborn among the Egyptians. After this plague from Yahweh the Israelites were allowed to leave their captives. The story is found in Leviticus 23. For us, it is a realization that Yeshua was our passover lamb, saving us from the punishment of death with His blood and our escape from the power of sin.

Seder- ceremonial dinner.

Seder plate or platter- this is a plate with indentations or accompanying bowls that are used to put specific foods in that have symbolic meanings. For an overview of the foods used, see this page.

Haggadah- the booklet that has the instructions for the meal and the passages to be read.

Matzah Tash- a cloth bag with three pockets for putting in unleavened bread. This is part of the telling of the story during the seder.

The details are in the Hagaddah and there is room for personal prefences in some things, but the general idea is re-living the meal the Israelites ate while waiting to be freed after the Angel passed by, and for Messianic believers, rejoicing in the deliverance Yeshua brought to us. When we have Passover, I will put up pictures, but I thought if anyone wants to try it out for the first time, there is somethng of a rush to get your supplies and I just had to share this great set for families.