{Note: This week’s Chinese lesson for kids is now available at Hold the MSG.com}

Today I’m joining up with The Gypsy Mama again for Five Minute Friday. the idea is that you write, uninhibited by concerns for perfection, for five minutes flat. This is hard for me (the not-concerned-about-perfection part, not the writing). But we’re going to give it a whirl again. Today, the theme is “light.”

GO.

Tomorrow we will celebrate Seder. It’s a tradition that began in our home when Pumpkin was still a baby. It’s something that, by tradition–our family’s and the traditional Seder’s–JavaMan usually leads. But he isn’t home from Korea yet. (He’s there getting a visa complication addressed.) He won’t be home until Wednesday.

At first the thought of pulling the whole thing together on my own was daunting. But our children were genuinely disappointed when they realized we were going to miss it. They can’t remember a year we didn’t celebrate it–even with all our wandering about the planet. So I set about to figure out how we could keep our tradition untraditionally. And I think maybe I’ve done it.

Instead of the full lamb dinner I usually prepare, I’m serving lamb stew. I’m planning to prepare the charoseth and even some gluten-free matzoh with help from the kids. With just one adult and all that reading, the dinner itself could be a challenge, so I’ve enlisted professional help.

We’re going to watch a Seder online and participate along with it. The significance of all the elements will be explained and it will last only 30 minutes, which satisfies even the wiggliest of my children. We’ll have our tradition and be flexible doing it. Our version of the Seder begins with a blessing and thanksgiving for The Light of the World.

STOP.

{Note that for a complete ceremony, you’ll need a Hagaddah–a guide–available here.}