The festive meal held on the first night(s) of Passover is called a Seder. The Hebrew word seder means “order” or “arrangement,” referring to the fixed sequence of rituals, blessings, foods, readings, and songs that structure the evening.
The Seder begins after sunset on the 15th day of Nisan, the date on which Passover begins in the Hebrew calendar. Jewish communities traditionally hold one Seder in Israel and two in many communities outside Israel. During it, participants read the Haggadah and retell the Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt.
The meal is only one part of the ceremony. Other central practices include eating matzah, drinking four cups of wine, reclining as a sign of freedom, and explaining symbolic foods such as bitter herbs and charoset. Kiddush is recited during the Seder, but it is a blessing rather than the name of the meal; Havdalah marks the end of Shabbat or a festival.