Passover is a wonderful Jewish holiday steeped in the tradition of story telling, love and family. It is a reminder of a heritage who's roots are both bitter and sweet and the Passover Seder is the gathering of friends and family to remember the past and honor their ancestors, enjoy the today and those they hold dear and look to the future generations to grow and learn with honor and pride.
All of the foods eaten at Passover tell the story of the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness of freedom. There are songs and prayers. Boo's and Cheers. And there is chocolate. I remember the chocolate always symbolic of the sweetness of the holiday. Nowhere in the movie the Ten Commandments does Moses pass out chocolate bars when he proudly presents the commandments and leads every one to freedom. And yet the chocolate tradition of Passover is a wonderful gift to bring to a seder.
Since Chocolate itself is somewhat of a religion in my family - we really love it! - it seems like the perfect gift for this Jewish religious celebration.
My Mom made the Seder plate in the center of the photo above by hand. She handcrafted the ceramics and painted and decorated this treasure just for me. I will always love it and I know she would definitely approve of it being surrounded by gifts of chocolate, family and love!
Some Jewish families celebrate in a very strict and orthodox fashion, staying true to the rituals their ancestors thousands of years ago also followed, some families find a more conservative approach that honors the ancient rituals and yet have a more modern approach. Some will eat only Kosher for Passover foods and some will not. The honor comes from the remembrance and the time to remember traditions and pride in their heritage.
Bringing chocolate gifts to a seder is bestowing your wish of a sweet life on family and friends - what could be a greater wish than that for those you love!
My Mom loved holidays and especially Passover. She invited the family over and really made every Passover holiday a special time of sharing. It wasn't a very religious celebration but did incorporate a bit of religion and prayer in English and Hebrew, a lot of tradition, tons of home cooked food and a lot of laughter and fun.
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