Passover

Passover is a Jewish holy day celebrating the Hebrew's escape from slavery in Egypt.

About Passover

Passover is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival celebrating the Hebrews' escape from slavery in Egypt. The festival lasts an entire week and is filled with religious observances and special meals to commemorate the holiday.

Passover celebrates the story in Exodus, where the Bible tells that God inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before the Pharaoh would release the Hebrews. The tenth plague involved the killing of all of the firstborn, this included the Pharaoh's son and even firstborn cattle. The Hebrews marked the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a lamb and God passed over these homes inflicting no harm upon them, hence the term passover. Then when the Hebrews were finally freed, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise, so no leavened bread is eaten. The traditional bread of the holiday is Matza (flat unleavened bread) a flat, cracker-like bread. This along with many other special foods are consumed for the holiday.

In the Hebrew Bible, Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan (equivalent to March and April in Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Hebrew calendar's festival year.

In 2011, Passover begins on Tuesday April 19 and ends on Monday April 25.

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