Tonight starts the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover is one of my favorite holidays. I love the food and the smells, and the family dinner called the Seder. Being the youngest of three siblings, though, the part I could do without is the four questions.
This year I’m not making a big Seder. We are barely even celebrating. It’s a lot of work for just two and a half people. I’ll make farfel and charoset, thaw some brisket from my aunt and we’ll have hard-boiled eggs, matzah and matzah ball soup. We may top off the evening with some macaroons. But that will be the extent of the celebration in my household.
2,000+ miles away, my entire family will be getting together for the holiday. Am I jealous? A little bit. I miss my mom’s matzah ball soup, and her brisket. I miss sitting at the table with my dad leading the service. I miss the jokes and quips my brothers would throw out to get a laugh. Most importantly, I miss my family.
I always made a big deal out of the Jewish holidays and tortured my non-Jewish friends by asking them to attend. They probably had no idea what was going on most of the time. But they were all great sports and we usually had fun. Plus I got to make a big meal and celebrate each holiday with friends. But many of our friends have since moved away, so I never realized how much I missed my family until this year.
My husband and I will make Passover fun this year, even if it’s just two and a half of us celebrating together. It is our baby’s first one so we won’t completely wimp out.
Next year with family!
