Seder Plates

The seder plate is a special plate for the Passover "seder" which means order in Hebrew. The items on the seder plate are symbolic of different parts of the Passover story.

The six traditional items on the seder plate are as follows:

Maror — Bitter herbs symbolize the bitterness of slavery which the Hebrews endured in Egypt. Usually horseradish is eaten to fulfill the mitzvah (good deed) of eating bitter herbs during the seder.

Chazeret — Is the second bitter herb — not all Jewish traditions include it. Those that do, usually use a bitter lettuce or a radish. If a seder plate has only 5 places, this second bitter herb is left off or is placed with the Maror.

Charoset — A sweet mixture of chopped nuts, fruit, cinnamon and wine represent the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the Egyptian pyramids.

Karpas — A vegetable, other than bitter herbs, is dipped into salt water at the beginning of the Seder to represent tears and the pain felt by the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Parsley, celery, or boiled potato is usually used.

Z'roa — A roasted lamb or goat shank bone symbolizes the historical Passover sacrifice, which was a lamb that was offered in The Temple in Jerusalem, then roasted and eaten as part of the meal on seder night. Since the destruction of the Temple, lamb is not eaten during the seder. Vegetarians often substitute a beet for the shank bone on the seder plate.

Beitzah — A hard-boiled egg, symbolizes the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in The Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on seder night. The egg is a symbol of mourning and of rebirth.

Seder Plate New Traditions

Orange — The custom of putting an orange on the seder plate arose in the early 1980s to include an orange on the seder plate. Susannah Heschel, a Jewish scholar who began this custom, has explained the orange as a symbol of the inclusion of all Jews, including those traditionally marginalized, such as women and gay people. Today, there are seder plates made with seven spots, an extra for the orange on the seder plate, such as Michael Aram's Pomegranate Seder Plate.