All About Passover: Dos and Don'ts?what
is passover and how it celebrate ?
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:
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- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bitter herbs: Bitter herbs,
such as horseradish, are eaten to remind Jews of the bitterness of
slavery.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Meat and poultry that have been slaughtered according to Jewish dietary laws (kosher).
- Fish that have scales and fins, such as salmon, tuna, and carp.
- Eggs.
- Vegetables, including potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery.
- Fruit, including apples, oranges, and bananas.
- Matzah-based dishes, such as matzah ball soup, matzah brei (a dish made from matzah and eggs), and matzah lasagna.
- Passover desserts, such as
macaroons, chocolate-covered matzah, and flourless chocolate cake.
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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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Maror (bitter herbs):
Typically horseradish, maror represents the bitterness and harshness of
slavery.
- Charoset: A sweet mixture of
chopped apples, nuts, wine, and spices, charoset represents the mortar
used by the Jewish slaves to build the pyramids.
- Karpas: A vegetable, often
parsley, dipped in salt water, karpas represents the tears of the Jewish slaves.
- Z'roa (shank bone): A
roasted lamb or chicken bone, z'roa represents the Passover sacrifice that
was offered in the Temple.
- 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.
- 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:
- Water turning into blood
- Frogs
- Lice
- Wild animals
- Diseased livestock
- Boils
- Hail
- Locusts
- Darkness
- 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.
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