A Successful Passover Seder

Seder is a great time to reconnect with those people who live with you, whom you know, and your family! Chances are between work, school, social commitments, and other functions you guys don't get to spend much time together. Preparing a lavish meal and sitting down to enjoy it as a family is a great way to develop your familial relationships while having fun. 

Food is the best way to gather friends and family for a proper Seder. Nothing gets people to the table like Seder plates overflowing with tasty Jewish foods. Prepare food and ask others who dine with you to bring something too. Even a loaf of bread or a bottle of wine can add to your spread. When it comes to a Passover Seder the more the merrier, especially if they are bringing food. 

Make sure you have a family Haggadah for everyone who is coming. You can ask guests to bring their own but this creates confusion. Namely different Haggadahs have different page numbers, even though their contents are the same. You can purchase sets of family Haggadahs and use them for years to come. Last I checked, a sequel to the Haggadah is not underway, so you don't need to worry about your copy falling out of date. 

If food and Haggadah reading isn't enough to tempt your family to the table you can always rouse them with Jewish gifts. People love getting and giving gifts. It's a great way to express your love for someone while demonstrating how much you know about them. Jewish gifts are especially meaningful because they speak to your greater, shared heritage and traditions. Anything from a Kipa to a Judaic piece of jewelry is a good Jewish gift. 

To add a bit of drama to your Passover Seder, why not use a matza cover? People gather around the table, and at its center is a mysterious item draped in a festive cloth. Then when everyone is gathered and anticipation is running high, voila! Matza! The kids will go wild! You can use the matza cover again when hiding the matza. 

Make sure to stock up on Jewish wine before any Seder. Seder's require you to drink a lot of wine. Also most guest will probably want to do some extracurricular wine drinking beyond what the Seder calls for. 

So get your invites together, start prepping your food, and dust off that Seder plate. Passover Seder will be here soon. Are you ready?