Sitting Still, Oy Vey!

If someone would have told me 5 years ago that my Catholic-self would be celebrating Passover and proud, I wouldn’t have believed them. So far, I’ve survived 9 tours of Seder dinners with my New York family. Last year, I got a bye due to a C-section. Whew! An extreme, but viable excuse.

This year I am especially panicked. Although, I don’t have the same worries as I did in previous years such as:

1. Will I get stuck with the passage that reads “Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah, Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Tarphon were reclining [at a seder] in B’nei Berak?” (I suggest that all Gentiles try reading it aloud in front of 20 people after four glasses of Kosher wine).
2. Should I admit that I saw where they hid the Afikomen or find it and then take $20 bucks from my father-in-law even though I am over 30?
3. Will they notice that I already ate dinner before the meal?
4. Will someone mention Mel Gibson at the dinner table?

No, 2008 is much more serious…How in the world am I going to get my son to sit through Passover Seder Dinner? Oy Vey! For those of you who don’t know, Passover Seder Dinner takes place on the first two nights of an eight day holiday and starts with a ritual reading before the meal that could potentially go on for hours. One way to let your little one play with their food and learn about Passover Seder along side you is to provide them with their very own Seder plate. KidKraft makes wonderful toys and even religious ones too. I found the best deal on Furniture Buzz where play Seder Sets are on sale for $29.00 with free shipping until April 21st.

No portable DVD’s players allowed here (nor should they be). Instead, try good old fashioned coloring. Download the free Passover Coloring Book and print 20 pages of the Passover story from Chabad.org.

If your child isn’t one to sit still, add some theatrics to your Seder presentation. You’ll not only get their attention but everyone elses. Super goofy but after all, Seder is all about parents teaching their kids about the Jewish tradition. Find these puppets at Oy Toys.

You may get some funny looks, but all of these toys should work wonders at Mass too! Wish me luck :) Happy Passover Everyone!