Q: My good friend invited me to her house on thursday for passover and to meet her grandmother. I know absolutly nothing about it, but I would just like to know if I should bring any food and if so, what? Should I bring anything else? Should I dress nice? Thanks alot.
A: Especially if the family is observant, do not bring food other than something sealed and labeled for Passover use. However, box of candy marked Kosher for Passover is a nice gesture and not too expensive. So would be a bottle of Passover wine. These days, that does not mean the sweet Concord grape wine that you may have heard about. There are good varietal wines that are made Kosher for Passover. If you can find them in your area, there are excellent Kosher for Passover wines from Chile and Argentina. If not, Baron Herzog wines (mostly from California) are almost always good, although they can be a bit more expensive. If none of that is available, bring some flowers. And yes, dress nicely, but don't overdo it. Ask your friend whether the men will wear jackets. They probably will NOT, but it's better to know in advance. Enjoy the Seder. More than anything else, Passover is about freedom, not only for Jews freed from slavery, but all people and all time. And therefore Passover is the most American of the Jewish holidays. Good luck!!