I once asked a little boy why he liked Passover the best of the Jewish festivals. He answered at once, "Because of the Cyder nights." He meant "Seder" nights, the first two evenings of the festivals, and I had expected that would be his answer. Then I asked him why he liked the Seder nights, and he replied, after thinking a minute, "Because I am allowed to stay up late."

The anecdote uses a child’s mispronunciation (“Cyder” for “Seder”) to highlight how religious festivals are often experienced first through concrete, sensory, and social pleasures rather than abstract theology. The boy’s reasoning—Passover is best because of the Seder nights, and the Seder nights are best because he can stay up late—gently punctures adult expectations of piety while affirming the warmth of family ritual. It suggests that tradition is transmitted not only through instruction but through memorable domestic moments: special foods, late hours, and the feeling of being included in grown-up time. The humor is affectionate, presenting childhood as a gateway into communal identity.