sedering

Sedering is the act of conducting or participating in a Jewish Passover Seder, the ritual meal that commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. The term "sedering" is informal and not widely used in scholarly English; speakers usually say "holding a Seder" or "observing the Seder." The verb derives from the Hebrew word seder, meaning order, reflecting the liturgical sequence of the Seder service.

A Seder centers on the Haggadah, a text guiding the narrative, prayers, and symbolic actions. The Seder plate holds a shank bone (zeroa), a roasted egg (beitzah), bitter herbs (maror), charoset, karpas, and often chazeret. Matzah is central, kept during the service and eaten in several rituals.

The Seder follows a prescribed order of readings, blessings, washing, dipping, eating, and songs. The youngest participant asks questions, prompting explanations of the symbols. The service commonly includes readings from the Haggadah, blessings over wine, and the four questions and four cups in many traditions.

Observance varies by community: many families hold a Seder on the first night of Passover; some communities celebrate on both nights. Denominational differences affect language and customs, but the core aim is remembrance of liberation and renewed hope.

Sedering, then, is a shorthand for participating in or conducting the Passover Seder, rooted in Jewish tradition and family ritual.