Happy Passover

This year, Passover will begin at sundown on Saturday 12 April and end on Sunday 20 April.

What is Passover?

Passover, or ‘Pesach’ in Hebrew, is an 8-day major holiday in Judaism. It is significant as it commemorates the exodus of Jewish people from slavery in Ancient Egypt. According to The Torah, God* commanded Moses to instruct Jews to mark lamb’s blood above their doorway so that the Angel of Death would ‘pass over’ their homes, and this is where the holiday derives its name from.

Traditionally, the first 2 and last 2 days of Passover are considered ‘full holy days’ and many Jewish people will refrain from work for some or all of those days.

How might it be observed?

Throughout Passover, Jewish people refrain from consuming food made with leaven, such as bread, to symbolise the suffering of the enslaved Jews and the haste with which they left Egypt during the mass exodus. Leavened bread or other bread products are known as chametz and it is customary to either remove all chametz products from a home or move them somewhere where they will be out of sight.

The first night of Passover traditionally begins with a family meal known as the seder. During the seder, foods of symbolic significance are eaten, such as matzah, which is flat, unleavened bread. It is common for those present to read from the Haggadah, a traditional Jewish book of prayer, whilst engaging in games and song.

Passover is a time for family, remembrance of Jewish history, social justice and freedom. This includes recognition of the oppression that still occurs today.

*To some Jewish people, it is considered disrespectful to write out the name of God in full. To ensure this story is digitally accessible, we have written it in full.