All About Passover: Dos and Don'ts?

All About Passover: Dos and Don'ts?

what is passover and how it celebrate ?

Passover, also known as Pesach in Hebrew, is a Jewish festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt, as described in the biblical book of Exodus. Passover is celebrated for eight days, usually in March or April, and is one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar.

The celebration of Passover involves several symbolic rituals and traditions, including the following:

A table set up for a Passover Seder
Official name	Pesach – פסח (in Hebrew).
Observed by	Jews
Type	Jewish (religious and cultural)
Significance	Celebrates The Exodus, the freedom from slavery of the Israelites from Ancient Egypt that followed the Ten Plagues Beginning of the 49 days of Counting of the Omer Connected to barley harvest in spring
Celebrations	Passover Seder
Begins	15 Nisan
Ends	21 Nisan (22 Nisan in traditional Diaspora communities)
Date	15 Nisan, 16 Nisan, 17 Nisan, 18 Nisan, 19 Nisan, 20 Nisan, 21 Nisan, 22 Nisan
2022 date	Sunset, 15 April – nightfall, 23 April[1] (8 days)
2023 date	Sunset, 5 April – nightfall, 13 April[1] (8 days)
2024 date	Sunset, 22 April – nightfall, 30 April[1] (8 days)
2025 date	Sunset, 12 April – nightfall, 20 April[1] (8 days)
Related to	Shavuot ("Festival of Weeks") which follows 49 days from the second night of Passover.

A table set up for a Passover Seder

Pesach – פסח (in Hebrew).

Jews

Jewish (religious and cultural)

• Celebrates The Exodus, the freedom from slavery of the Israelites from Ancient Egypt that followed the Ten Plagues
• Beginning of the 49 days of Counting of the Omer
• Connected to barley harvest in spring

Passover Seder

15 Nisan

21 Nisan (22 Nisan in traditional Diaspora communities)

15 Nisan, 16 Nisan, 17 Nisan, 18 Nisan, 19 Nisan, 20 Nisan, 21 Nisan, 22 Nisan

Sunset, 15 April –
nightfall, 23 April^[1] (8 days)

Sunset, 5 April –
nightfall, 13 April^[1] (8 days)

Sunset, 22 April –
nightfall, 30 April^[1] (8 days)

Sunset, 12 April –
nightfall, 20 April^[1] (8 days)

Shavuot ("Festival of Weeks") which follows 49 days from the second night of Passover.

1. Seder: The Passover Seder is a special meal held on the first two nights of the festival, during which the story of the Exodus is retold through prayers, songs, and readings from the Haggadah, a special text that tells the story of the Israelites' liberation.
2. Matzah: During Passover, Jews refrain from eating leavened bread and instead eat unleavened bread called matzah, which is made without yeast and represents the Israelites' haste in leaving Egypt.
3. Four cups of wine: During the Seder, four cups of wine are consumed to symbolize the four promises made by God to the Israelites in the Exodus story.
4. Bitter herbs: Bitter herbs, such as horseradish, are eaten to remind Jews of the bitterness of slavery.
5. Search for leaven: Before Passover begins, Jews are commanded to remove all leavened products from their homes. This is done through a thorough search, called bedikat chametz.
6. Freedom: Passover is a time to celebrate freedom, and many Jews use the festival to reflect on the themes of liberation and social justice in their own lives and in the world at large.
   

Overall, Passover is a time for Jews to come together with family and friends to celebrate their freedom and remember their history.

What happens during the 7 days of Passover?

Passover is actually an eight-day festival that begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan and lasts until the 22nd day of Nissan (which usually falls in March or April). The first two nights of Passover are the most significant, and they are celebrated with a special meal called the Seder. The remaining days of Passover are observed with various customs and traditions. Here's a brief overview of what happens during the seven days of Passover:

1. Day 1 and Day 2 - The first two days of Passover are celebrated with the Seder, a special meal that includes the retelling of the story of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, the eating of matzah (unleavened bread), and the drinking of four cups of wine.
2. Day 3 through Day 6 - These days are known as Chol Hamoed, or the "intermediate days" of Passover. During this time, many people take off work or school and spend time with family, enjoying festive meals and participating in leisure activities.
3. Day 7 - This day is known as "Shevi'i shel Pesach" (the seventh day of Passover). It is considered to be a significant day in Jewish history, as it commemorates the crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army.
4. Day 8 - This day is known as "Acharon shel Pesach" (the eighth day of Passover). It is the final day of the festival and is celebrated with special prayers and meals.
5. Meat and poultry that have been slaughtered according to Jewish dietary laws (kosher).
6. Fish that have scales and fins, such as salmon, tuna, and carp.
7. Eggs.
8. Vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery.
9. Fruit, including apples, oranges, and bananas.
10. Matzah-based dishes, such as matzah ball soup, matzah brei (a dish made from matzah and eggs), and matzah lasagna.
11. Passover desserts, such as macaroons, chocolate-covered matzah, and flourless chocolate cake.
    
    
    

Throughout the eight days of Passover, Jews refrain from eating leavened bread (chametz) and instead eat matzah. They also participate in other customs and traditions, such as the search for chametz before Passover begins, the burning of chametz on the morning before the holiday begins, and the recitation of Hallel (psalms of praise) during morning prayers.

What do you eat on Passover?

During Passover, Jews avoid eating leavened bread, also known as chametz, and instead consume matzah, which is unleavened bread made from flour and water. Matzah symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise.

In addition to matzah, Passover meals typically include a variety of foods that are considered "kosher for Passover." These include:

During Passover, Jews also avoid eating certain foods that are not considered kosher for Passover, including bread, pasta, rice, and other grains, as well as legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils. Some Jews also avoid eating foods that are made with corn, soy, and other ingredients that are considered kitniyot (a category of foods that is debated among Jewish communities).

Overall, Passover meals are typically hearty and filling, and often feature traditional Jewish dishes that have been adapted to be kosher for Passover.

What is not allowed during Passover?

During Passover, there are several foods that are not allowed to be eaten. These include:

1. Chametz: Any food that contains leavening or rising agents, such as yeast, baking powder, or baking soda, is not allowed during Passover. This includes bread, pasta, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods that are made with wheat, barley, oats, spelt, or rye.
2. Kitniyot: This is a category of foods that includes legumes such as beans, peas, lentils, and soybeans. While there is some debate among Jewish communities about whether kitniyot are allowed during Passover, many Jews refrain from eating them.
3. Fermented or vinegar-based products: Foods that are made through fermentation or with vinegar, such as pickles, sauerkraut, and some types of sauces, are not allowed during Passover.
4. Liquids that have been fermented: Alcoholic beverages that are made through fermentation, such as beer and some types of wine, are not allowed during Passover.
5. Foods that have come into contact with chametz: Any food that has come into contact with chametz, such as utensils or dishes that have been used to prepare bread or other forbidden foods, are not allowed during Passover.

Overall, Passover is a time to avoid foods that contain leavening agents and to stick to foods that are made from unleavened ingredients, such as matzah. This is done to symbolize the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise.

hat is hidden at Passover?

One of the central customs of the Passover Seder is the hiding and searching of the afikoman. The afikoman is a piece of matzah that is broken off from the larger piece of matzah during the Seder meal. It is traditionally wrapped in a cloth or napkin and hidden somewhere in the room.

After the meal is finished, the children at the Seder are encouraged to search for the hidden afikoman. The child who finds the afikoman is typically rewarded with a prize or a special treat. Once the afikoman is found, it is then eaten as the final food of the Seder.

The hiding of the afikoman serves as a way to keep children engaged and excited during the Seder, as well as to reinforce the theme of redemption that is central to the Passover holiday. Just as the Israelites were once hidden away in Egypt and then redeemed by God, so too is the afikoman hidden away and then redeemed by the children at the Seder.

What are the 6 symbolic foods of Passover?

During the Passover Seder, there are several symbolic foods that are placed on the Seder plate. These foods are used to tell the story of the Jewish people's journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom. There are six traditional symbolic foods on the Seder plate, which include:

1. Maror (bitter herbs): Typically horseradish, maror represents the bitterness and harshness of slavery.
2. Charoset: A sweet mixture of chopped apples, nuts, wine, and spices, charoset represents the mortar used by the Jewish slaves to build the pyramids.
3. Karpas: A vegetable, often parsley, dipped in salt water, karpas represents the tears of the Jewish slaves.
4. Z'roa (shank bone): A roasted lamb or chicken bone, z'roa represents the Passover sacrifice that was offered in the Temple.
5. Beitzah (hard-boiled egg): The egg symbolizes the cycle of life and death, as well as the festival offering that was brought to the Temple during Passover.
6. Matzah: Unleavened bread that represents the haste with which the Jewish people left Egypt, as they did not have time to let their bread rise.

These six symbolic foods are arranged on the Seder plate in a specific order and are used to tell the story of the Jewish people's journey from slavery to freedom, as recounted in the Haggadah, which is the text used during the Passover Seder.

What did God send during the Passover?

According to the biblical account in the book of Exodus, during the time of the Passover, God sent ten plagues upon Egypt as a punishment for Pharaoh's refusal to release the Israelite slaves. These plagues included:

1. Water turning into blood
2. Frogs
3. Lice
4. Wild animals
5. Diseased livestock
6. Boils
7. Hail
8. Locusts
9. Darkness
10. Death of the firstborn

The final and most devastating plague was the death of the firstborn, which prompted Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites from slavery. The Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, so that the angel of death would pass over their homes and spare their firstborn sons.

The Passover holiday commemorates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt and the miracle of the first Passover, when God spared the Israelites from the final plague. The story of the Exodus is recounted in detail during the Passover Seder, and the holiday is celebrated as a reminder of God's deliverance and protection of the Jewish people.