Holidays and Celebrations

Decide who you are inviting to the Seder.
Will anyone be sleeping over?
Will you be preparing all the food yourself or do you have friends and relatives bringing any?
Do you have enough room at your table or do you need to put some tables together?
Do you have enough chairs?
Do you have tablecloths?
Do you have enough glasses, wine glasses, plates, silverware and serving dishes?
Do you have enough haggadahs?
How many Yarmulkes do you have?

Do you have the cleaning and fixing mood that comes with the holiday?
Do you want to paint or do small repairs?
Do them a month or two before Passover or leave it for another time

Give yourself plenty of time to clean, shop and cook, to get most of it out of the way.

Finish cleaning your kitchen at least 3 days before the holiday and bring out your Passover dishes and things you use to cook with.

Make a timeline

A few weeks or a month before Passover:
Invite your guests so you know how many are coming.
Ask what they can bring such as food dishes, Haggadahs , Yamaulkes, extra plates and silverware.

Plan your menu. Make a list of what you will prepare and what anyone one else is bringing.

Make a shopping list of foods, drinks such as wine and grape juice for children, matzos, napkins, what will go on the Seder plate and other items you need to buy.

Add to your list the food you will be eating the week of Passover

Make arrangements for any tables, chairs or other items you need to borrow.
Make an order from your butcher and for fish or buy and freeze the meat and fish you will need.

Buy non-perishable food and items – including the prize for finding the afikomen
Buy any new clothes you or your family members may need.


Start cleaning the bedrooms, storage areas, home office if you have one and any other place you do not eat in.

1 week or 2 before the Seder:
Finish cleaning the rest of the house
Cook and freeze any dishes that can be made ahead of time and frozen

3-4 days before the Seder:
Buy the perishable foods
Cook the foods that do not have to be eaten on the same or next day that they are made.

2 days before the Seder:
Take the food from the freezer and put it in the refrigerator to defrost

The day before the Seder:
Move any furniture that needs to be moved
Set the table
Put drinks in the refrigerator
If you have the room, put any food that is served cold on serving plates, cover them and put them in the refrigerator.

On the day of the Seder:
Prepare, cook or bake the foods that need to be made the same day – that includes the Seder plate.
Fill the wine glass for Elijah on the put it on the table. Open and put the wine bottles on the table.
Put the covered matzo on the table
Put the salt water on the table
Fill the serving plates with food that is served at room temperature and does not spoil and cover them.

Take a shower and nap if you have time
Get dressed and make sure your family is dressed

Put the Seder plate on the table
Reheat anything that needs to be hot.
Put the cold drinks on the table