A Passover Bouquet that will Last All Week

A Modern Take on Passover, with Flowers

Passover begins tomorrow evening. Are you ready for eight days of remembrance? In many ways, Passover is an anchor of the Spring season. This multi-day event brings Jewish families and communities together to remember the Jews’ exodus from Egypt. On the first two nights of Passover, families sit down to a seder dinner together, where ritual foods and ceremonial songs punctuate the evening. The Seder provides a unique opportunity for older generations to engage children in cultural history through exciting storytelling, songs, and activities. The seder dinner can be a long, festive event that lasts well into the evening and carefully omits any leavened food or non-kosher ingredients.

While some aspects of Passover are worth repeating year after year, this holiday also lends itself to creative reinvention. If you’re looking to try some new menu items at your seder table, or want to bring a little extra fun into the mix, here are some ideas:

Innovations on Everyone’s Favorite Seder Festivities

Every family is different. Some traditions are essential to any Passover dinner, while others are ready for a contemporary interpretation. With its core symbolic ingredients, the Passover plate is a worthwhile tradition to uphold. After all, lamb shank, bitter herbs, a boiled egg, green vegetables, and Charoset are essential to bringing the Passover story to life. 

However, the bells and whistles around the Passover meal get even more delicious with reinterpretation. Here are some fun takes on the classics: 

• Red Sangria. No Seder is complete without red wine – but if you find that the drinks are heavier than you might like, or if you’re looking for a spin on sweet Manischewitz, try making a fruity Sangria instead!
• Smoked Salmon Platter. Carp or whitefish are normally used in the classic Gefiltefish recipe. Brighten the colors and flavors of this traditional dish by working with smoked salmon instead. In a food processor, combine smoked salmon with vegetables and herbs before shaping the mixture into ovals and poaching it. The texture will resemble gefilte fish as you know and love it; the flavor will be a totally new experience.
• Waffle-iron Latkes. Give your potato pancake texture and shape by cooking it in a waffle iron and letting your guests choose their own toppings.
• Dandelion salad. Bitter herbs can be symbolic and delicious when dandelion is in the mix. This highly flavorful green is a tasty addition to salads or braised vegetable dishes. Pair it will lemon juice or citrus vinaigrette to balance its bitter flavor.
• A variety of sweets. Meringues, lemon curd, berry tarts, flourless chocolate cake, and cookies lend themselves well to gluten-free preparations. 

Kid-Friendly Passover Activities

Passover is just as much about celebrating children as remembering the exodus story. After all, Passover is all about reciting the Haggadah and passing on traditions to children – it is only fitting that children should be at the center of the festivities. Here are some fun ways for kids to get hands-on this Passover:

• Make a seder plate with kids. Youngsters will love drawing the ritual foods of the seder plate on a paper plate with crayons or tracing real foods and writing down their names in English or Hebrew.
• Act out the crossing of the red sea. Many moments in the exodus story can be entertaining for children to act out – especially the Red Sea crossing. Bring out a blue sheet or large length of blue craft paper and have children cross the sea! Getting them out of their seats during the Seder is a great way to keep the energy high. 
• Give kids a wine alternative. Drinking red wine from a kiddush or goblet is integral to the Seder. Kids will feel special and more involved if they are drinking something that looks like wine – red fruit juice is a great option – from a goblet. Go the extra mile by giving them a special kid-friendly cup.
• Tell the story in your own words. Storytelling is a major component of Passover. Encourage children to feel the holiday’s meaning by repeating what they learn from the Haggadah reading and act out portions of the story in skits or play-acting.

Bring Passover to Life with Flowers

Are you looking to bring your Seder table to life with fresh Spring flowers? While Jewish traditions do not have any special rules for Passover flowers, we recommend blooms that express the Spring season’s fertility and delight. Plus, bright, warm flowers can enhance the mood since Passover festivities are celebrated after sundown. Hydrangeas, lilies, daisies, daffodils, and tulips are some of our favorite seasonal blooms. Make Allen’s Flower Market your destination to add a floral statement to your seder table. Calla Lilies in Bloom is a stately bouquet that makes for an ideal centerpiece. Pink-dotted orchids and ranunculi dance with textural hydrangeas in Ranunculus Hidden Fields, which takes your décor in a friendly, warm direction. Complement your seat cushions, linens, and interior design flair with an inviting bouquet like our Springer arrangement, where stunning orchids peer out among red and pink roses, hyacinths, purple calla lilies, and bear grass.

At Allen’s Flower Market, we’re proud to make your celebratory centerpieces come to life with perfect blooms that highlight Passover hospitality. We offer same-day delivery for all your floral needs, locally and nationwide. Check out our Spring arrangements online: https://www.allensflowermarket.com/occasions/spring.html.