What do you need on the Seder plate?
The Seder Plate holds:
Z’roa – a shank bone. Vegetarians can use a beet. This represents the Passover sacrifice that was offered at the ancient temple in Jerusalem.
Betzah – an egg. Hard boil the egg. I hold mine (with tongs) over the flames of my gas stove to give it scorch marks on the shell so that it looks more roasted. The egg represents the festival sacrifice.
Maror – bitter herbs. Usually horseradish. It represents the bitter suffering of the Hebrew slaves.
Charoses – chopped mixture of fruit, nuts and wine. Represents the mortar and clay the Hebrews used in their work.
Karpas – parsley, celery, potato. This vegetable is dipped in salt water during the seder.
Hazaret – ground horseradish, or other bitter green. This vegetable is the most confusing thing on the plate because there is already a bitter herb on the plate! It was added as a second bitter herb because the commandment is to eat bitter herbs (plural). See Numbers 9:11 for the text.
You’ll need serving bowls of the items on the seder plate that we eat: parsley, horseradish & lettuce, eggs. Put out a few small bowls of salt water for dipping. I keep a couple boxes of matzah very nearby to replenish the plate. You’ll need plenty of wine and/or grape juice for the four cups of wine.