A Very Adair Seder

[Unless otherwise specified, all photos are by Mel Adair]

 ***Seder Disclaimer - the way we've chosen to celebrate Seder is in no way traditional as I found numerous variations online and adapted our meal based on what ingredients I could find or had on-hand.  I also took personal liberties in expounding on dishes as well.  ***

This posting is a bit overdue but I can't help myself as Seder is one of my newest yet favorite celebrations.  I'm not Jewish.  In fact, I'm mostly French but am intrigued by Jewish traditions as my Lord and Savior was a Jewish carpenter and the Book by which I teach and live my life was written by Jews.  I'm an average American girl with little known heritage so I'll gladly adopt or 'borrow' rich traditions or heritage and call it my own.

Since I'm a nerdy American girl, I enjoy learning about the history behind holidays then passing that information to my kids.  As boring as that sounds, I'm their mom so if I'm really excited about something, they're still naive enough to think it's actually exciting.  I'll exploit my position of nerdy authority as long as possible.

I'm a firm believer in celebrating each day a (we're alive, right!?!) as I'm also a party girl.  I'm not sure how it works to be a nerdy party girl so I just roll with it.  I want my boys to value each day as a gift yet pay special attention to days with deeper meaning.    Holidays can drown in commercialism and we often see merely a reflection of what a holiday is meant to be while missing the profound depth and beauty that should be explored beneath the surface.

Thus each Spring for the past few years, our family celebrates Seder, a Jewish feast traditionally celebrated at the beginning of Passover (Festival of Unleavened Bread).



It's a week-long celebration remembrance of the nation of Isreal's exodus from Egypt in the Old Testament.  Think- Moses, parting of the Red Sea, 10 commandments, Promised Land, etc.  Seder dinner would've also been Jesus' last meal (supper) with His disciples before He was crucified although we can't be sure exactly what He ate.  Christians now refer to this day as Maundy Thursday which is followed by Good Friday and Easter Sunday (or Resurrection Sunday).

[Photo of Passover Seder Plate showing (clockwise, beginning from top):
 maror (romaine lettuce), z'roa (roasted shankbone), charoset, maror (chrein),
karpas (celery sticks), beitzah (roasted egg).
Photographed on April 12 2006 by Yoninah May 2006 (UTC) ]

My boys palates are all-american so unless I'm serving up burgers, tex-mex, or breakfast food for dinner, they approach new foods with hesitancy, as do most kids.  In fact, they'd probably prefer to wash all the baseboards around the house or weed the garden instead of eating a full meal of foods they can't pronounce.

Thus, each year I've taken what little I know about a Seder menu, which is indeed little, and adapt it to work for my family while challenging their delicate little taste buds.  Our first year of celebrating, I put minimal food on the table, being as strict to the Seder menu as possible.

Adair Seder 2011

 I coerced  the boys into wearing nice white shirts, lighting candles, and fixing their hair before approaching the table as I wanted them to know that this was a special dinner.  I explained that our family would be starting a new tradition and I needed their full participation and respect, which they readily gave aside from curious glances at the meager portions. I love that boys are adventurous!

We sat at the table and instead of thoroughly reading the Haggadah  as recommended on various sites (I printed out a condensed version that was 50 pages long!  Hello!) we talked through the exodus story in the Old Testament, each of the boys excitedly adding facts and asking questions.  Both Cliff and I were impressed with how much they remembered from various church services and Sunday School classes.  Our discussions at home, if biblical, are not centered around rich and relevant stories but rather loving each other as opposed to 'taking and eye for an eye'.  During the exodus story, we discussed each of the foods on the table (which is explained below) and while the boys grimaced and giggled at the foods, they did appreciate the symbolism.

Maror and Karpas -Parsley and celery to dip
in salt water representing bitterness and harshness
of slavery in Egypt.  

My first attempt at lamb -  there were lots of leftovers as lamb
is NOT beginner friendly.  Lesson learned.
The lamb represented the lamb's blood that was used to paint
 the Israelite's doorways to save the firstborn in each home from
 death, the final plague before the Israelites' exodus.
Jesus' blood was then spilt (crucifixion) to save
 those who choose Him from eternal death.

Charoset - fruit, nut, and honey salad.  It represents the
mortar the Israelites used while in slavery in Egypt.  It was
served between unleavened crackers, representing unleavened bread.

Beitzah - Hard-boiled eggs.  Traditionally they are roasted
and probably unseasoned.  They represent new life.
Eggs are not always served with Seder.
 

Chazeret -romaine lettuce.   It was dipped in salt water to represent
the Israelites'  tears while in captivity.  

We then read sections of the New Testament (Matthew 26-28) and talked through Jesus' last supper with his disciples then discussed Jesus crucifixion and resurrection as the reason for celebrating Easter.  We had a great time and chatted up a storm regarding how the elements of the Old Testament were a shadow of things to come in the New Testament, all centered around Christ.

Then they sat and patiently waited for a second course as they were all hungry.   I raided the fridge and served them leftovers and cake.

Table Setting for Adair Seder Dinner 2012.

The past few years, I've prepared more dishes and serve the individual Seder elements on large plates or platters for us to pass around as we discuss each.  The seasonings and meal embellishments are usually Mediterranean as these flavors and foods would've been available to the nation of Israel.  Perhaps they weren't prepared the same way or served at a Passover meal but the boys appreciate the experience.

Adair Seder Dinner 2013.   All the elements were
served in my favorite entertaining bowls.  

Toasted sea-salted pita bread instead of
unleavened bread  

Seasoned grilled ground lamb patties with red wine sauce

Greek olives.  An extra element.  Yum! 

Following our meal, this year I closed our meal by singing the 23rd Psalm.  Traditionally Psalm 113-118 (Hallel) are sung to festive tunes during Seder but I've never heard this done nor wanted to pretend although the boys would've never known.  Instead of winging it, I recalled my childhood days of listening to Keith Green and sang a condensed version of his Psalm 23 Song.  The boys loved it and have requested I sing it when I tuck them into bed at night.

While I don't offer any recipes for Seder dinners in this post, my hope is that more families embrace and begin their own rich traditions bringing remembrance, growth, challenge, and adventure to their faith.   We have so many blessings for which to be grateful, it's a shame to let defining opportunities worth truly celebrating slip us by.



Resources you may enjoy:
*Explanation: What is Seder Dinner? by Wikipedia  (has meal outlines, pictures, etc)
*Article: Introduction to a Christian Seder  (great explanation!)
*Article: Of What Should the Exodus Remind Us? from Answers In Genesis
*Article: What I'm Learning About Easter from Today's Christian Woman