Preparing for Passover this year I am remembering last year when daughter, son in law, grandson and niece moved into the barn rooms for a duration of 13 weeks. When they arrived, cars full of food, laptops and clothes, none of us knew what was going to happen. At times it felt like the end of the world. Roads and skies became quiet and we closed the front gate unsure of when and how we would open it again. Amidst the lockdown we began Passover preparations and daughter and son in law rolled up their sleeves, planned menus, cleaned the kitchens and began to cook. We were amongst the few who were able to share the Seder nights with some of our family. Many spent those two special meals alone, lit their candles, ate their unleavened bread and drank the symbolic four cups of wine. We really understood the age old question recited at the Seder table by the youngest child present (or by a solitary celebrant), “Mah Nishtanah halayla hazeh? Why is this night different from all other nights?”

This year daughter, son in law and grandson will be preparing and eating the Passover meals in their own home. We will be joined by our son and our younger grandchildren – our bubble. Granddaughter has been practising the Mah Nishtanah with her mother and we look forward to the pleasure of hearing her recite the verses in Hebrew.

Today, after a week of careful cleaning, lining cupboards and changing pots and pans, I have begun the Passover cooking. The hens, bless ‘em, produce plenty of eggs and there are vegetables in the garden and the last of the garlics, onions and potatoes from last year’s harvest.

Plenty more food to cook and freeze or refrigerate before Friday including this home grown and very strong Maror (horseradish) which we eat grated in unleavened bread and also covered with Charoset (a sweet paste made from almonds, wine and apple) to remind us of the bitterness of our enslavement under pharaoh in Egypt and of the bricks we had to produce daily – perhaps the ones that built the pyramids.