Tomorrow is my son's birthday and the first seder night of Passover. I am missing my kids today as I finish the preparations for turning the kitchen over to a Pesadik one. I sent them both a lot of Passover chocolate and cookies through the mail so that at least I know they are having some fun foods!
I doubt if either of them will have the opportunity to go to any seders this year. When we bought this house, I wanted to be sure it had a big open dining room, and I got a gigantic table that can seat 14. I always had the thought that there would be big Passover seders here with my kids and maybe their kids in the future. I am pretty sure now that it is not going to happen. It's far for them to travel, and they would all prefer to use their limited funds and vacation days at other times of the year. I understand that, so I will take them whenever I can get them!
Instead we are having a total of 6 the first night and 7 the second night, drawing from neighbors and friends from our new synagogue. In fact, we are making new traditions. Along with Frank here for the third time, we have our local friends Jonathan and Susan coming over for the third time as well. New traditions are good, too.
It's always difficult to prepare for Passover: shopping, cleaning, emptying out the fridge, freezer, and pantry of chametz, making space for the Passover dishes, washing, cooking....the list could go on and on.
Every year Mark gets out the Conservative movement guidelines for what is and what is not kosher for Passover and what does and does not need to be cleaned. There's always some little change from year to year. Last night, for some perverse fun, I read an article online from an Orthodox point of view called "Easy Cleaning for Passover." Easy is very loosely applied in that article. It made me VERY glad I do not follow those guidelines. It included things like covering up the vent hood on the range so Pesadik steam does not up in it, covering up all the walls behind your counter and stove, and washing all of your clothes that you intend to wear during the week because they might have a crumb lurking somewhere and then hanging them up separate from your other clothes. That is only a small sample of what to do in an Orthodox household. I have already done some of the things they demand because they are the same in the Conservative movement. I also will go out and clean out the cars today.
We are pretty far along in the process this year for several reasons. I now have a kitchen big enough to keep the island open for chametz and turn the other counters over to Pesach. I have made half the pantry, fridge, and freezer for each (Passover and everyday) since Tuesday when we first brought in Passover food. Mark and I do not bake things for the holiday, so at least we don't have that pressure that I know so many other families have.
This year we are using Frank P's Passover dishes, gold flatware, and beautiful stemware. Alice and Frank hosted us at their first night seder for around 30 years until she passed away. Then we started hosting Frank; it was the least we could do for him. Last summer he asked me to take all of her Passover things, which I did. Last night I got them all out and washed them all up. They are beautiful, and our seder table will be amazing this year. I think Frank will truly enjoy using these lovely things once again. It's been quite a few years since Alice passed away and many years since she even got all these things out to use at her seders. I remember that it was at her seder that I first learned how really nice the new plastic plates look!
In about a half hour Mark will be heading to Publix to buy all the fresh fruits and vegetables as well as eggs, milk, and salmon. While he is gone, I will finish cleaning out the final areas in the fridge and freezer, covering all the surfaces in tin foil. A lot of people pour boiling water on their counter tops to make them Pesadik, but Mark's mother always covered every surface in tin foil. He loves that look; it makes him feel like it's the holiday. So I have everything covered now except the island, which will stay uncovered until later tonight. That will be the last thing to become Pesadik.
I hope everyone who is celebrating the holiday of freedom enjoys it. Once the work is done to get the shopping and cleaning finished, the rest is truly a wonderful holiday. Unlike many people, I really enjoy matzah, and I like eating some of the special Passover foods, like cookies and cakes, that only come around for one week each year. It's a special time, for sure.
If you are not celebrating Passover but are getting ready for Easter next Sunday, I hope you have a great time getting ready for your holiday as well. I have enjoyed my share of chocolate bunnies, Peeps, and Cadbury eggs over the years, too. The Reese's peanut butter eggs are THE BEST! Have some for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment