afikomen

Afikomen is a piece of matzah set aside during the Passover Seder and eaten at the end of the ritual. It is usually taken from the middle of the three matzot placed on the Seder table. During the Maggid (the storytelling) portion, the leader breaks the middle matzah, and the larger fragment is wrapped and hidden, becoming the afikomen.

After the ceremonial telling and the meal, the afikomen is redeemed. Children search for it, and the finder typically exchanges it for a prize or reward. The afikomen is then eaten as the final food of the Seder, often accompanied by blessings and concluding rites.

The term afikomen comes from the Greek epikomen, meaning “that which comes after,” and is associated with the dessert-like portion eaten after the main meal. In Hebrew usage, it has come to refer both to the hidden piece and to the end-of-Seder eating itself.

Symbolically, the afikomen recalls the Passover sacrifice performed in the Temple in Jerusalem and serves as a reminder of redemption. It also functions as a pedagogical device, engaging children in the Seder by creating a treasure hunt that culminates in the final blessing and completion of the ritual.

Practices vary by community. In many Ashkenazi households, the afikomen is hidden by the paterfamilias and a reward is given to the finder; in some Sephardic or Mizrahi traditions, the handling and timing of the afikomen differ, but the act of eating it at the end remains central.