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Inspired by the comments here, I realized how little I know about what other customs' Sedarim are like. As an Ashkenazi, I'd only ever participated in Ashkenazi Sedarim. Surely there are those who similarly had never been to an Ashkenazi Seder.

On behalf of such people, what is a typical Ashkenazi (central European) Seder like? What sorts of minhagim are widely practiced uniquely in Ashkenazi communities?

Particularly those who have attended both Ashkenazi Sedarim and other traditions: what were some of the main differences you saw?

For other posts in this series, click here.

DonielF
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  • So, no interest in Ethopian, Romaniote or Benei Moshe seders? Are there any others we're missing? – יהושע ק Apr 02 '19 at 02:56
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    @JoelK Please do let me know if I missed any others. I ought to post Chabad/Chassidim also. If we're really going out on this, we might as well explore what Kaifeng Jews do, but I'm not sure that anyone on here will be able to answer that one properly. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 14:02
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    I didn't like that series, sorry. I don't think "what it LIKE?" questions are legitimate on this site - they are way too broad and unclear. However, you might post a question on differences between different communities. – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 14:58
  • @AlBerko What’s broad and unclear about it? I’m not asking for a full run-down of the Sedarim; I’m asking for things unique to each type of community. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:00
  • You might ask about "special Minhagim" of certain Ash. communities, but "what's it like?" invites answers like "boring", "exciting", "depends on the family" etc. You might rephrase the question to focus on specific details - food, order of chapters etc. – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:02
  • @AlBerko “What sorts of minhagim are widely practiced uniquely in X communities?” – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:03
  • Focus on one part of the Seder - food, Hagadah, drinks, family relations, kids, songs etc. otherwise it's tooo broad. – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:05
  • @AlBerko I didn’t say what is done, period. I’m looking for specific minhagim. I don’t see how that can be too broad. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:05
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    "Specific" you said - specify it. Oh, forgot the clothes. There are too many differences. Also what level of details you expect - we sit down, go thru the Hagada, drink wine, eat and go to sleep. – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:14
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    Since it's hard for anyone to know what's unique in their community, maybe ask for records by people who have attended two very different Seders what the differences they saw were? – Double AA Apr 02 '19 at 15:14
  • For those who voted to close as too broad, how would you recommend I break up Ashkenaz to narrow this down? – DonielF Apr 04 '19 at 18:35

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It's difficult to answer such a question without knowing more about other communities' customs, but let me attempt this based on the little that I do know...

  • Typically, Ashkenazim tend to eat specifically potatoes or parsley dipped in salt water for Karpas, rather than a different vegetable, a different dip, or a different way to get the kids to ask. Apparently this one varies widely even within Ashkenazi communities.
  • Ashkenazim say the paragraph discussing how Korech is a remembrance of the Karban Pesach in the times of the Beis HaMikdash according to Hillel, which I'm aware many communities omit.
  • The paragraph beginning "Yehalelucha" is said before Hallel HaGadol, rather than later, with Nishmas.
  • Ashkenazim have a much more extensive list of songs in Nirtzah than other communities, as far as I can tell; how many of these songs are actually sung seem to vary by the family. Some in my community are careful to sing every single one, while in my household Chasal Siddur Pesach, Chad Gadya, and Echad Mi Yodeya are the only ones we're particular about, and we add others based on how awake we are at that point.
DonielF
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    Re Yehalelucha, IIRC chasiddim / those who use nusach sefard will often follow the Mechaber and recite Yehalelucha after Nishmat – Joel K Apr 02 '19 at 04:45
  • I know an Ashkenazi family who very specifically uses radish for Karpas, another that uses celery, and a third that uses banana. (I've been lobbying for cucumber for a while now.) – Double AA Apr 02 '19 at 13:24
  • @DoubleAA I don't see why not (bananas in salt water would probably greatly increase the chances of the kids asking why), but I had never heard of such customs before, and it's certainly not done in my community. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 14:01
  • How do you know what everyone in your community uses? I don't know what most people use. Only the Sedarim I've been to. – Double AA Apr 02 '19 at 14:05
  • @DoubleAA Asking around – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 14:08
  • Do you represent THE Ashkenazi? How many Ash communities do you cover in your answer? Your list is a tip of the iceberg of Minhagim for the Seder. Without seeing the others it's impossible to understand what's so special about it. – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:00
  • @AlBerko Since when do we judge questions based on the answers they’ve received? Once we cut out the stuff that’s the same across all traditions, there shouldn’t be that much left. A question receiving more than one answer is not considered too broad. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:02
  • Many times I realize how bad my question was after I see the answers (people might misunderstand etc). Don't take it personally, I understand your interest in Seder's Minhagim, but for the sake of quality of information on this site I think those Q. must be either rephrased or reworded. :) – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:11
  • @AlBerko I’m here to record what’s in my community, and I’m leaving it to others to fill in what’s different in theirs. I really don’t see what your problem is with this series. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:12
  • But you say "Ashkenazim " in your answer - how much of the Ash does it cover? – Al Berko Apr 02 '19 at 15:20
  • @AlBerko Does it really vary that much? – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 15:22
  • @Doniel Just in what you mentioned, there's more variations for Karpas, there's variation when the Zekher paragraph is recited (before or after eating), and there variation when Yehallelukha is said (Nusach Sfard), and the songs are as you admit not uniform (to the extent they even count as part of the Seder). So yes it appear there are variations. You also haven't mentioned where people wash their hands, when they count Omer, what vegetable they use for Maror, what they do with the eggs, when they hold their cups, and more. – Double AA Apr 02 '19 at 15:59
  • @DoubleAA Yehallelucha, as you say, is Nusach Sefard, not Nusach Ashkenaz, so that's irrelevant for this question. Certainly there are variations, which is why I ask for what's unique across all Ashkenazim. If that really is too broad, even with that restriction, I'll gladly break it up. – DonielF Apr 02 '19 at 16:07
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    I see no reason from this question that Ashkenazim who Daven Nusach Sefard would be excluded. – Double AA Apr 02 '19 at 16:10