With everything going on around us, Passover feels especially important this year. Passover is the celebration of the joyous story of our Jewish ancestors being freed from slavery under the Egyptians. We join together to tell the story and use a Seder plate with many symbolic items to do this. Even though we can’t all physically come together this year, it is still important to remember this story. In honor of Passover, here is the Clog’s power ranking of foods on the Seder plate!

1. Matzo

While matzo isn’t technically on the Seder plate, it is one of the most symbolic foods Jews consume on Passover. During the night, the matzo is broken, eaten and hidden. After the Seder, it becomes the main part of a Jew’s diet for the next 10 days. Matzo is really just a large square cracker, so it is the perfect vessel for any topping you want. It’s also delicious plain and hard not to like, making matzo the top dog at any Passover Seder!

2. Parsley

A Seder plate must have karpas, or a vegetable other than a bitter herb. One of the most commonly used karpas is parsley. The parsley is representative of the arrival of spring and the celebration of agriculture our Jewish ancestors celebrated. This item is so high up on the power ranking because it has a cheerful meaning and is a positive connection to our ancestors. 

 3. Hard-boiled egg 

The circle of life is a common theme seen throughout Jewish teachings. Having a hard-boiled egg on your Seder plate is supposed to be a symbol of this circle of life and is also known to be representative of mourning. The egg not only holds significant meaning but is also delicious, giving it a ranking in the top three. 

4. Charoset 

Charoset is typically a mixture made of apples, nuts and cinnamon. While its sweet taste is a common favorite, I have never been a fan. The mix is supposed to be symbolic of the brick and mortar materials the slaves used to make Egyptian buildings. Its somber meaning brings it down further in the rankings. 

5. Shankbone

The shankbone is a much more positive symbol on the Seder plate. It represents God’s mighty arm, which convinced the Egyptians to free the slaves in Jewish culture. While it is a more joyous item on the Seder plate, the fact that it is just a bone and cannot be eaten puts it pretty low on the list. 

6. Horseradish 

The horseradish, also known as the maror, is not only disgusting, in my opinion, but is one of the more somber symbols on the Seder plate. The maror is intended to represent the bitter life the Jews had while they were slaves in Egypt. As it is not fun to eat and is a reminder of the horrible conditions the Jewish people were subjected to, it gets last place on the Seder plate.

We hope that no matter what is going on around you, that if you celebrate Passover, you have a wonderful Seder. Wishing you a happy and healthy Passover from the Clog!