When preparing for the Seder, it is important to make sure that one has enough haggadot for each of the participants. It is customary and appropriate, on Passover even more than on any other festival, to wear fine clothes in honor of the holiday, even finer than those worn on Shabbat. On Seder night in most Ashkenazic communities, it is customary for men who conduct the Seder to wear a kittel, the white cloak that is also worn on Yom Kippur.

Before the onset of the festival, one should light a long-burning candle, so that it will be possible to transfer fire from it for cooking and for other uses during the day.

The first day of Passover never comes out on a Friday. Outside of Israel, where every festival mentioned in the Torah is observed for two days, it can happen that the first two days of Passover fall on Thursday and Friday. In that case, one must perform on Wednesday (the day before the holiday) an eiruv tavshilin. This enables one to cook (by transferring fire from an existing flame) on Friday, though it is a holy day, in honor of the approaching Shabbat.

Further reading: For an explanation of the eiruv tavshilin and instructions in how to perform it, see the chapter dealing with eiruv tavshilin, p. 474.

When the Seder falls on Friday night, one must light the candles before the start of Shabbat and the festival. When the holiday begins on a weekday, some light the candles after the festival has begun, just before the beginning of the Seder. Those who do so must remember that it is prohibited to create a new flame on a holy day, and therefore they must transfer fire from a flame that was lit before the festival began.

Further reading: For more details on the halakhot of candle lighting, see p. 381.

When lighting the candles, one recites two blessings:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us through His commandments, and commanded us to light a candle for the festival (on Shabbat recite instead: for Shabbat and the festival).”

This blessing is immediately followed by:

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time.”