Matzah Covers
Eating matzo, or matzah, is one of Passover‘s main commandments. Matzo is unleavened bread made of one of the following types of grain: wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt. These five grains can become leavened and are therefore forbidden the entire Passover holiday, although the commandment to eat matzo actually applies only to the Seder night. When placed on the table, the matzo is covered throughout the Seder meal with an ornate cloth; this is done for the same reasons we cover the challah bread every Shabbat and Jewish holiday. Similarly to challah-covers, there are manifold matzah c0vers of various styles, colors, sizes, etc.
Silk matzah covers are very popular and usually come in a wide variety of shapes and colors. A trendy choice is a white and pomegranate silk matzah cover, which is interesting since pomegranate is actually eaten on Rosh Hashanah rather than on Pesach. Another silk matzah cover that lately inundates the market is a silver-colored cover with images pertinent to the Exodus from Egypt, such as the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the splitting of the sea, which is one of the most popular motifs most often seen on matzah covers.
Other fabrics, such as velvet, also make for popular matzah covers. Velvet is many people’s fabric of choice for purposes such as matzah and challah covers. Usually circular and fringed, velvet matzah covers endow any table they rest on with a regal touch. Many velvet, as well as other materials, matzah covers come with an added bonus: a matching afikoman bag!
If you are looking for an aesthetically pleasing matzah cover, check out those designed by Israeli artist Yair Emanuel. Popular ideas for embroidery include names of the family members, the Jewish year in which the matza cover was made, and more. Biblical passages never go out of style and are always appropriate. You can look up passages that discuss the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, our relationship with God and of course about the commandment to eat Matzo on Passover.
If you are looking to buy a wedding or house-warming gift, matzo cover may be the perfect gift. Firstly, this is a gift people can use year after year, for many years. Secondly, it can also be tailor-made for the couple or family. If it is a Jewish wedding gift what would be more fitting than embroidering the Hebrew names of the bride and groom and their wedding date with a Hebrew passage? If it is a housewarming present, you can include a blessing for the home on the matzah cover, to remind the recipients, years from now, when they received the beautiful matzah cover that they still use every single year.
