What is Pesach (Passover)?
Pesach, more commonly known as Passover, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the freeing of ancient Israelites from Egyptian slavery. The festival begins on the 15th day of Nisan, a month of the Jewish calendar that falls during spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The celebration last for seven or eight days and is one of the most important Jewish holidays.
The story of Pesach is outlined in the Biblical book of Exodus. According to the religious text, God inflicted ten plagues on the Egyptians to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves. The final plagues was the murder of all first-born children in Egypt. The Israelites were instructed by God to mark their doors with blood from a lamb. When the Lord’s spirit saw these marks, he passed over the homes and let the children live. The holiday is so named because the Lord passed over the Israelites and spared them from the slaughter. After Pharaoh freed the slaves, it is written that they left Egypt so quickly that their bread dough did not rise, or leaven. Today, celebrants abstain from eating leavened bread during Passover for this reason.
Before Passover, Jewish people clean the house completely and remove all prohibited foods, including leavened bread, cereal, grains, vinegar and other foods. A special prayer is said as the foods are removed from the home and burned. Any remaining forbidden foods can be stored in a sealed-off and remote part of the home or sold to a non-Jewish person. It is customary for first-born males to fast on the day prior to Passover. Celebrants also refrain from working on the first and final days of Passover. Seder, a special ritual feast, is held on the first night of Passover. The meal often involves the whole family, a retelling of the liberation story and eating symbolic foods like matza.
