How long does an Orthodox Passover Seder last?

Question

I thought that it had to be finished by midnight. Am I wrong? My professor says it can go until 2 or 3am.

Answer 1

I have not heard of any limitation such as being done before midnight.

... but I don't see why the hell it'd last to 2 or 3am.

one of the stories I remember in the hagadah my family uses, iirc, tells about a group of rabbis discussing and debating and studying the story of the exodus and such and being interrupted by their students telling them it was time for morning prayers.

Answer 2

your both right.

the Seder should be finished by midnight, but not the midnight you are thinking of.

the midnight is a halachic one called Hazos. It is calculated by dividing the day light hours into 12 equal parts.

thus if the day is longer than the night (such as during the spring time when passover is)

You will have hours longer than 60 min.

That means that midnight could very well be 2 in the morning.

Personally I have never attend a Seder that went that long, but it is possible.

edit

ah I see rosends added on details I left out, now you have got a complete answer.

Answer 3

the "afikoman" piece of matzoh which is the ritual "dessert" must be finished by the time which is halfway between sunset and sunrise, but there is much more to the seder than that, so after the afikoman, the seder can continue for hours, if the participants are willing. 2 or 3 AM is not unusual. In my house it is, because my kids and wife are asleep by 11PM and i finish and clean up.

in the seder, there is a story told of four rabbis who exp[licated and discussed until the sun rose. As long as they had the afikoman by the right time, they could continue.

Answer 4

I don't think it has a time limit--I've always ever known it to depend on how fast of a reader the leader is. If you're like my boyfriend and say whole paragraphs in one breath, it's usually done by midnight. If not, some of my friends have been at it until 3 in the morning.

Answer 5

It all depends on the family and their traditions. But by rabbinic law, the seder must be over by midnight (because that is when the Angel of Death passed over the homes of the Hebrew slaves in Goshen). So if you usually feel okay to call her that late, you can call her then.