Interactive Haggadah

Definitions of the Passover Haggadah and the Seder

So what does Haggadah mean?  It translates to "telling."

Haggadah shel Pesah means the narration of the story of Exodus as recited at the Seder service.

The custom of recounting the story of the deliverance from Egypt derives from the scripture: "And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the Lord did to me when I came forth out of Egypt." (Exod. 13:8)

Find out how you can initiate the telling of the tale during the Seder service.

The word Seder (Aramaic for the Hebrew Erekh) means "order" of the (Passover) service.

So the Passover Haggadah functions as a guide for the Seder meal and its rituals.1

Extra songs, poetry, and elaborations have been added to the original Haggadah over the years and, since the time of Rashi, commentaries on the text have been produced. The progressive movements have produced their own versions, amending the text in accordance with their own theology, and there is also a Karaite version.2

1 The Schoken Passover Haggadah. Edited by Nahum N. Glatzer

2 Encyclopedia.com

Passover Haggadah

[Editor's Note]: Above is my family's improvised/handmade/informal Haggadah.

Haggadot (Haggadah, in plural) can be extremely beautiful.  The historic Haggadot from medieval times are illuminated and works of art in their own right. They are truly extraordinary and would make beautiful covers for any custom haggadah you'd create.