Banter Bites

Don’t Passover This Holiday

If you've ever seen the movie "The Ten Commandments," then you already know more about Passover than you may realize.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red, the straight-A student, had the Bat Mitzvah while Black, the troublemaker, rarely went to synagogue – so any guess who knows more about Passover, one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays?

When it comes to Passover, Red knows all about the exodus from Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea so the Jews, led by Moses, could escape slavery. She knows the story behind matzo (a cracker-like flatbread) was because the Jews didn't have time to wait for their bread to rise. And that when G-d struck down every firstborn Egyptian male, the lamb's blood over the doors of Jewish homes saved their children (the angel of death "passed over" those homes). In short, she knows everything that was covered in "The Ten Commandments," a Hollywood "blockbuster" movie from 1956 (older than Black!) which Red has seen countless times. (Check your local listings as it's typically aired during the Passover/Easter season.)

Then there's Black, who not only knew what was covered by the movie (one of her favorites) but knows that Passover is all about four – four questions, four sons, four expressions of redemption, and four cups of wine. And she'll admit that over the years, there were Passover seders (the traditional Passover feast) that sometimes felt as if they lasted four hours!

P.S. – Last year, we wrote about Passover from the perspective of the plague of COVID-19 in Red & Black ...This Too Shall Pass Over.

No matter what holiday you may celebrate, Red can’t help but quote a line from one of her favorite Christmas songs, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”

And Black can’t help but point out that the song wasn’t introduced in a Christmas movie but in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."

Wishing you a merry everything and a happy always!

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


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