The seder plate sits at the center of the table and has six items:
1) Zroah - a roasted shankbone with a little meat on it. Not eaten.
2) Beitzah - a roasted egg. Together with the shankbone, this symbolizes the sacrifices offered at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem on the eve of Passover. The egg is also considered by some as a symbol of mourning for the destroyed temple.
3) Karpas - a vegetable, usually celery or parsley, that is dipped in salt water and eaten, following the Roman custom for hors d'oeuvres.
4) Maror in the form of horseradish root.
5) Maror in the form of romaine lettuce.
6) Charoset - a sweet mixture of apples, nuts, cinnamon, spices, and wine, grated to have the appearance of mortar, symbolizing the bricks the Jews used as slaves in Egypt.
A second plate near the seder plate holds three matzahs which will be used during the seder. Why three? Two for the Hamotzi, and the third for the afikoman.
