Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!

passover, passover table, seder table, seder, table setting

Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!

Extending warm wishes for a wonderful Passover from our family to yours…

This post is the second in a series highlighting our Passover customs and traditions.

passover table

Kristy & Stone

The Passover Seder Table is not simply a place to tell the story of the Exodus and to eat dinner. The Table is symbolic in and of itself. It is a place where memories are made and traditions are taught. It is where we gather with family and friends, and perhaps strangers too, to celebrate our freedoms. The care with which my sister-in-law Kristy sets her Table reflects the solemnness and seriousness of this holiday. The vibrancy and beauty of the Table reflect our gratitude to God for taking us from slavery to freedom, from sadness to happiness, from pain to joy, from darkness to light. Fresh flower arrangements make the table especially spring-like and festive.

Newcomers to the Seder ask, “What can I bring?” We say bring a frog…and we have built up quite a collection over these past ten years!

Why a Frog?

God told Moses, “Behold, I hear the cry of the children of Israel. I have surely remembered you and seen what is done to you. And now I will put forth my hand and smite Egypt with signs and with wonders. Go tell Pharaoh, Let My people go!”

passover, passover table, seder table, seder, table setting

Moses told Pharaoh, “Let My people go!” But Pharaoh said no. So God sent ten awful plagues to punish the Egyptians and to teach Pharaoh that only God is God.

passover, passover table, seder table, seder, table setting

First God turns all the water in all the rivers, streams, ponds and pools in Egypt to blood. For seven days blood flows everywhere; there isn’t a single drop of water for the Egyptians to drink. And God says, “Let My people go!”

passover, passover frogs, seder table, seder, table setting

But Pharaoh still refuses. Now God sends frogs swarming all over Egypt. Frogs hop into the Egyptians’ houses, into their bedrooms and into their beds.

Frogs hop into the kitchens where bread is made, and even into the ovens.

passover, passover frogs, seder table, seder, table setting

And God says, “Let My people go!”

passover, passover frogs, seder table, seder, table setting

(This special frog brought by Allison & Kirk from China)

Pharaoh promises to set us free but as soon as God makes all the frogs hop away, Pharaoh breaks his promise.

So God sends seven more plagues: gnats, flies, cattle disease, boils, hail, locusts, darkness.

passover, passover frogs, seder table, seder, table setting

(Kristy’s mom brought an adorable Chef Frog for me!)

“Let My people go!” When Pharaoh still refuses, God sends the tenth and final plague – the slaying of the firstborn. But first God tells us to use the blood of a lamb to mark our doors. The Angel of Death will see the mark on our doors and PASS OVER our houses when it is time to inflict the plague.

passover, passover frogs, seder table, seder, table setting

“Let My people go!” Finally, finally Pharaoh frees us. God saved us from slavery with signs and wonders.

kids seder table

My Nephews
Stone (8) & Jett (6)

We are all children of God. We remember the Egyptians who suffered such terrible plagues. We cannot satisfy our thirst or celebrate our freedom without remembering the sorrow of other people. We are no longer slaves, but what does our freedom mean? Our tradition teaches that all of us must work together to end slavery, find freedom, and create a better world.

(Portions of this post were written with the help of The Family Haggadah by Ellen Schecter).

20 thoughts on “Our Beautiful Passover Seder Table, and Frogs!”

  1. Greetings from Southern California

    I am your newest follower.
    I invite you to visit and follow my blog.

    God bless 🙂

    ~Ron

  2. beautifully personal way to tell the tale (which is of course the point of the holiday)! I have sat at many a seder table, but the frogs are new to me… GREG

  3. Chag Sameach LL. I am so happy that I met you here. Your Seder table is so inspiring, full of vybrant life! We will celebrate here on Sunday, too. And it will be great as we follow both traditions and the bunny will be surprised to find a real egg in the Seder plate. I have also newcomers, and they are asking what to bring. Maybe we will ask for cups to fill Eliahu’s Ha Navi glass, or something more fun, just like you did (but not locusts!!!) . Thanks for sharing your home with us.

  4. This brought back so many beautiful memories of my friend’s seder table and the sharing of the meal with an Italian-Catholic girl. (Okay, the bringing of the frogs – is new). But I love the evolution of the tradition and the beauty of the celebration which brings new meaning every year.,

  5. How beautiful. Made me so envious because my family is so far away. I am determined to make gefilte fish. Looks like you had a wo derful seder.

  6. What a beautiful table and a lovely post. I have never been to a seder, but just tonight a friend was educating me on all the dining requirements of Passover and why he couldn’t come to my house for dinner. I am now much less ignorant.

  7. This is so gorgeous! I especially love the kids table, and the way it’s playfully tied into the (awesome) frog theme on the main one…I’ve been really frustrated that Foodbuzz has been ignoring Passover in the Top 9; it might be hard to make gefilte fish pretty, but you’re giving me hope they’ll recognize some of the lovely posts people have done…

  8. So wonderful how you told the story. I have only been to one Seder and was so impressed with how everyone got involved with the story. I love that the frogs are a visual reminder of what happened in Egypt thousands of years ago. This semester I also attended my first ever bible study class and it was all about the book of Exodus. I learned so much about the flight of the Israelites and all their trials. I hope you and your family had a blessed and happy Passover.

  9. Love all of the pictures! However, I got to attend the annual tradition and everything was beautiful and very festive for the Passover holiday.
    Lori, you sure can cook! I look forward to each and every
    Seder dinner…..

    Love, Judi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.