Passover: What you need to know about the Jewish holiday - explainer

• Published date: 22 April 2024
• Author: AARON REICH
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

One of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (shalosh regalim), this weeklong holiday is home to such famous religious traditions such as the Seder and remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt; eating matzah while eschewing leavened products such as bread; and more

But what is the story of Passover? What are its various traditions and rules? And just what dates will it be taking place this year?

Here is everything you need to know about the Passover festival.

The history and meaning of Passover

Here is a common question about Passover: What is it celebrating?

To understand this, and the history, it's important to note that one can first read about Passover in the Bible.

Described as the Festival of Matzot in the Book of Leviticus, the holiday is specifically described as beginning on the dusk of the fourteenth day of the first month, held traditionally to be the month of Nissan. This begins a week-long festival of unleavened bread, the first and last days of which will be days of no work (a yom tov).

The holiday was also marked by the Passover sacrifice, and its importance was reaffirmed in both the Book of Kings 2 and Book of Chronicles 2, where Judah's king Josiah restored the celebration of Passover after an ancient text was found.

Aside from being a springtime festival, Passover is also a pilgrimage holiday. This is when Jews were all required to come to Jerusalem, making offerings at the Temple on what is now the Temple Mount. This included the famous Paschal lamb sacrifice, which is no longer done since the destruction of the Temple.

One of the most important parts of the holiday though is its connection to the story of the Exodus. The holiday's commemorates when God "passed over" the homes of the Jews of Egypt during His slaughter of the Egyptian firstborns. It also recalls how the Jews left their lives of slavery, going to the desert for 40 years. It is why one of the most important requirements of Passover is to remember the story of the Exodus.

What is the Passover Seder?

The Passover Seder is one of the most recognizable parts of the holiday. It's a long feast, held on the first night of the holiday – and also on the second night outside of Israel – organized into several sections, each with its own rules, as organized in a book known as a Haggadah.

In addition, there are the required four cups of wine that must be drunk during the Seder, each one at different points, which are drunk while reclining to the left.

Here is a brief breakdown of the Seder...