With Passover around the corner, I am instantly transported back to my childhood. Some of my most favorite and enduring memories are from seders past with my family. Many of these memories have nothing to do with the actual celebration of the Exodus from Egypt, but rather my cousins reenacting scenes from Saturday Night Live, or my sister giving an impromptu lip sync performance to the music of the Pointer Sisters (I did grow up in the ‘80’s).

So what makes these trivial moments so vivid?

Well, it’s all in the way we observe this tactile holiday. In a nutshell, Passover is the celebration of the Jews’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. On the first and second nights (Passover is 7 days), we have a ritual feast called a seder.

Myjewishlearning.com sums it up:

During the seder, we don’t just tell the story of the Exodus, we see, smell, feel, and taste liberation.

Guided by the Haggadah (the “script” for the ceremony), the story of the Exodus is retold with visual aids. The seder plate is the centerpiece and contains symbolic items depicting various parts of the Passover story. For me it was kind of like Cliffs notes. The seder plate hits on the major points:

• Karpas: A green vegetable, always parsley in my family, is dipped in salt water symbolizes hope and the tears shed as slaves.

• Haroset: A mixture of chopped fruit, nuts and wine reminds us of the mortar the slaves used to build for the Pharaoh.

• Maror: A bitter herb, often horseradish, represents the bitterness of hard labor and slavery.

• Z’roa: A roasted lamb shank bone serves as a visual reminder of the sacrifice the Jews offered.

• Beitzah: A roasted egg, symbolizes hope, the cycle of life and new beginnings.

So there is your mini crash course in Passover 101; given be your resident Jewish lay person. Keep in mind that I am sharing my family’s customs and rituals. They are pretty standard for Reform Judaism but there are variations. Please understand that there is much more to the Passover story and to the observance of the holiday.

But back to my original point. What is it about Passover that takes me back? I believe the lush sensory experience of Passover is what keeps those childhood memories so alive. And, as I sit around the seder table on April 19th, our triumphant story of freedom will be told again. As will the stories of our childhood.