This year’s Passover holiday begins on April 5 and ends on April 21. Whether you’re celebrating or not, it’s important to understand this significant Jewish holiday that marks the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egyptian slavery thousands of years ago.
Passover, called “pesach” in Hebrew, gets its name from a story in the book of Exodus. As Reader’s Digest explains, “God took the Egyptians’ firstborn sons but passed over the houses of the Jews.”
“You feel independent. You feel peace,” Chaplain Mendy Coën, director general of the U.S. Chaplain Corps, told RD. “On Passover, we feel independent, we feel free. We feel responsible.”
Here are a few important facts to help you understand how Passover is celebrated:
How is Passover celebrated?
Throughout the holiday, people observing Passover will abstain from eating “chametz,” or leavened bread products to symbolize how the Israelites didn’t have time to let their bread rise during their hasty departure from Egypt.
“The first two nights of Passover are also marked by a ‘Seder,’ a ceremonial dinner where friends and family get together to read and retell the story of the Israelites in Egypt. The story, prayers and songs are read from a ‘Haggadah,’” according to KARE11.
How can I wish someone a Happy Passover?
“Chag Sameach” or “Chag Pesach Sameach” means “Happy Passover Holidays” and can both be used to wish someone a Happy Passover.
What foods do people eat on Passover?
The Passover Seder includes a variety of foods. Matzo, also spelled “matzoh” or “matzah,” is one of the most popular Passover foods. This unleavened, cracker-like flatbread represents the Jews’ quick exit from Egypt.
Other items you’ll likely find during a Seder are greens, maror, haroseth and roasted shank bone.
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