1) We go to the door to great and welcome the Angel of Eliyahu into our home. 2) It shows that we have so much faith in G-d that we are even willing to leave our door open and unattended knowing he is taking care of us. (some have the custom to leave the door open and go back to the table for a few minutes)
It is set on the table during the Passover seder (the first and second nights of passover).
during a passover seder.
The Seder Plate is a special plate for holding the symbolic foods used during the seder. Pieces of the symbolic foods are distributed to everyone during the course of the seder. Traditionally, the person leading the seder is the only one with a Seder Plate. However if there are many guests, additional Seder Plates can also be set on the table.
we call it the seder plate
The word 'seder' is Hebrew for 'order'. The Jewish Seder is the ceremonial meal in Passover, during which, according to a set of ancient customs and text, we recount the Exodus from Egypt.
The word 'seder' literally means 'order'. During the seder we recount the story of the Exodus which is an integral part of the holiday. Conducting the Seder ceremony is in keeping with the command (Exodus ch.12 and 13) to celebrate the Exodus on the night of Passover and to retell the events.
The seder plate itself isn't a symbol, it holds the symbolic items for the seder though.
night of passover
The holiday of Passover officially begins on the evening of Monday, March 25th (in 2013). Most people who celebrate Passover will have a seder either on the 25th or the 26th.
The seder plate. See also:More about the Seder
The Seder plate is a special plate used during the Passover Seder meal in Jewish tradition. It holds symbolic foods that represent various elements of the Exodus story and the Jewish people's journey to freedom. Common items on the Seder plate include bitter herbs, a roasted shank bone, a mixture of fruits and nuts, and a boiled egg.
Passover is not a time of fasting, so Jewish people can eat during the middle of the day during Passover.