What is Passover? Traditions of The Oldest Jewish Holiday
Comprising the oldest, continuously celebrated holiday of the Jewish calendar, Passover celebrates the Old Testament story of Exodus, when God through Moses parted the Red Sea, allowing the Israelites an escape route to freedom from slavery in Egypt over 3,000 years ago.
Passover Seder
The week-long celebration kicks off with the Passover meal known as the Seder, which means “order” in Hebrew; when family and friends come together to eat traditional Jewish foods. A special Seder plate is placed on the table with symbolic foods that represent parts of the Passover story such as:
- hard-boiled eggs
- greens
- a lamb bone
- bitter herbs
- saltwater
- charoset (a traditional mixture of nuts)
- apples
- wine
In the middle of the Seder table is the wine, Matzah and a cup of wine for Elijah the prophet. Everyone at the table is given a Haggadah, which guides the participants through the Seder.
What is Matzah?
One of the most important foods at the Seder table is Matzah, a cracker-like bread made from unleavened flour and water, which means the dough isn’t infused with active yeast or given the time to rise.
As the story goes in Bible, the Israelites were forced to flee so rapidly from Egypt that they didn’t have time to rise their bread dough, forcing them to put their dough in traveling sacks for their unexpected departure. As they crossed the blazing hot dessert, the sun baked their unleavened dough into cracker-like bread.
In a celebration of the faithful’s ability to hear God’s commandments and pivot quickly in response, at the beginning of the Seder meal, one piece of the matzah is broken and hidden surreptitiously. After the meal is over, children search for this hidden piece called the afikoman, while the lucky child who finds it gets a prize.
Passover Around the World
Passover is one of the most sacred holidays for Jews living in Israel and abroad. They celebrate the seven-day festival by enjoying the first and last days as legal holidays and many take the week off to travel around the country. During Passover, Jews refrain from eating any leavened foods, while Ethiopian Jews mark the celebration by destroying their dishes and cookware after the Seder meal, making new ones to signify their hope for redemption.
Polish Jews re-enact the crossing of the Red Sea by pouring water on the floor, lifting up their coats and raising glasses as they dance across the water. For Nepalese Jews and interfaith participants, the Chabad of Nepal hosts the world’s largest celebration of Passover in Kathmandu, called Seder on Top of the World, where local Jews and travelers alike celebrate one of the most unique Passover celebrations in the world.