LiteOnGuy wrote:What is the Afikomon, and what is it you are doing with it? I haven't heard about this before, and would be interested to know.
![:D](http://www.cdrlabs.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
the Passover holiday meal, the Seder, is a very elaborate ritual. it is a celebration of freedom, remembering the release of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. however parts of
form of the ritual originates from Greek/Helenistic wine feasts.
there are some specific things that have to be set on the table. one of them is 3 matzos (3, aviationwiz, not 10). usually they are placed in a sort of cloth "envelope" usually embroidered etc.
parts of these 3 matzos are eaten at particular points during the feast.
now one of the "rules" is that the middle matza, which is called Afikoman,
must be eaten by the end of the feast. the feast isn't ended until the Afikoman is eaten, everyone must eat a piece of it, and if you don't you haven't fulfulled your religious duties of this holiday, and can't leave the table.
so tradition has it that the young kids "steal" the Afikoman sometime during the festivity (usually when the grownups are "looking away" to help them do so), and hide it away someplace in the house. since the Afikoman must be eaten to conclude the Seder, the head of the household, who "runs" the Seder, looks for it but fails to find it. at which point the youngsters
blackmail him into promising them various gifts.
other variations exist: the head of the Seder "hides" the Afikoman himself, as a preemptive measure, knowing that if he doesn't the kids will steal it from him etc, but he hides it in such a way that the kids
will find it, take it away and hide it again someplace else. when he goes to fetch it, surprise surprise it's gone, kids blackmail to get presents etc.
so you see, the Jewish tradition of scrounging for money (known as "Schnorr" in Yiddish) has very deep roots!
(i'm Jewish, so i can say this sentence and not be accused of being an Antisemite!
although i may be accused of being an AntiDentite
![:wink:](http://www.cdrlabs.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
)