Passover Symbols
The shank bone represents the Pesach, the special lamb sacrifice made in the days of the Temple for the Passover holiday. It is called the pesach, from the Hebrew word meaning “to pass over,” because God passed over the houses of our ancestors in Egypt when visiting plagues upon our oppressors.
The matzah reminds us that when our ancestors were finally free to leave Egypt, there was no time to pack or prepare. Our ancestors grabbed whatever dough was made and set out on their journey, letting their dough bake into matzah as they fled.
The bitter herbs provide a visceral reminder of the bitterness of slavery, the life of hard labor our ancestors experienced in Egypt.
The egg is a symbol of the circle of life and being born anew, we will eat this as our first course.
The parsely represents how the Jewish people initially flourished in the land of Egypt until they were enslaved.
The charoset represents the mortar the slaves used to build Egyptian buildings.
The lettuce is a second bitter herb, used in korech or the Hillel sandwich, which consists of matzah and bitter herbs (some add charoset as well).
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Passover Guide
Hosting your first Passover Seder? Not sure what food to serve? Curious to
know more about the holiday? Explore our Passover 101 Guide for answers
to all of your questions.