The new person continues:

Passover, like many of our holidays, combines the celebration of an event from our Jewish memory with a recognition of the cycles of nature. As we remember the liberation from Egypt, we also recognize the stirrings of spring and rebirth happening in the world around us. The symbols on our table bring together elements of both kinds of celebration. While the global pandemic has effectively lengthened our winter by pushing us to stay indoors, this Karpas reminds us that there will be a spring, a rebirth, in our future and our community’s future when this crisis ends.

(adapted from Jewish Boston Haggadah)

Leader continues:

Will someone with karpas, or green vegetable, and saltwater, recite the blessing and dip the karpas into the saltwater?

A new person with karpas and saltwater recites:

Blessed are you, LORD our God, who has created the fruit of the Earth.

Baruch atah adonai eloheynu melech ha'olam borei p'ri ha-adamah

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה

Source: opensiddur.org, "Haggadah for Pesach"

Dip the karpas into the saltwater and eat it.


haggadah Section: Karpas