The Seder Plate is full of symbolism and allusion. Each item has a very important meaning to it:
- The Shankbone
- A piece of roasted meat
- It represented the lamb that was the sacrifice
- This is purposefully different than the lamb due to a lack of the Holy Temple
- It is prepared over an open fire on the stove with most of the meat removed
- It is not eaten and saved for the second night
- The Egg
- It is hard boiled
- It represents the holiday offering brought in the days of the Holy Temple
- There is one egg per Seder plate
- The egg is used during the actual meal itself
- The egg is often eaten by chopping it up and mixing it with the salt water
- The Bitter Herb
- A reminder of the bitterness of the slavery in Egypt
- The common choices are grated horseradish, romaine lettuce, and endive
- The herbs are prepared the day before the holiday
- The herbs will be eaten with the matzah during the meal
- The Mixture
- A mixter of apples, nuts, and a small amount of wine
- Resembles the mortar and brick made by the Jews for the Pharaoh
- The maror is dipped in this before it is eaten
- The Vegtable
- A non-bitter root vegetable
- An allusion to the backbreaking work of the Jews as slaves
- The head of the househld cuts a piece of the root vegetable, dips it in saltwater, and each person gets a small piece over which they say a blessing
For an in depth description of the Seder Plate and its items, a wonderful resource is this Jewish website
