Shaily Hakimian

The minute we start Dayenu , we grab green onions and start beating each other like the slaves in Egypt. It becomes a five-minute food fight of your dreams! It’s been in Persian Jewish culture for a long time. Everyone loves it and it keeps people engaged.

Larry Liebman

What makes ours unique? We keep going until someone says, “Enough already.”

Shana Silver

My family adds kosher for Passover potato chips to our Seder. We think they’re the best!

Stevi Silverman Marks

We currently have a tradition with Miriam’s Cup where we talk about Miriam, and each woman honors another woman (our mom, Aunt Bernice, etc.) or relates a brief anecdote about them and pours water into our Miriam’s Cup.

We used to do awards called the “Afikomen Awards,” noting achievements and funny happenings… in categories like best costuming, best performance (usually a bat/bar mitzvah, baby, or wedding). We gave out the grand ‘afi,’ a [Oscar-like trophy] holding a piece of matzoh. One year, all the guys were nominated as “leading actors for snoring”: Avi for Sleepless in Northbrook , Jeff for Sleepless in Deerfield … My mom would usually win “best set decorator” for the holiday tables.

Andrea Hoffman

My family used boiled potato for karpas . That was the tradition in the part of Russia [our family is from] and I’ve come across a few other people who have the same custom.

Elana Dermer

In my family we put an orange on the Seder plate as a symbol that all Jews belong both on the pulpit and as participating members of the Jewish community. My grandmother started this tradition in support of marginalized members of the Jewish community and we continue do to so each year.

At the end of the Seder, we sing songs. It’s became a family tradition and competition of who can sing each song the fastest. Being a former teacher, I incorporated hand motions to a lot of the songs so even people who don’t know Hebrew can participate.

Daniel Goldwin

For a number of years, we’ve hosted a Seder on the second night of Passover. In the beginning we ran it as a traditional seder, but soon learned it would be more meaningful, memorable, and impactful for the kids–who far outnumbered the adults–if they played a more central role in the Seder. So, in the past few years, instead of a full-blown second Seder, all of the kids would write, build sets and props, and act out a Passover-themed play that they would put on after dinner.