Jewish cousins separated in WW2 reunite after 75 years
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Much like Easter, Passover is a holiday which doesn’t fall on one specific date every year and is subject to annual change. The Jewish holiday has significant meaning within the religion and is a time for thoughtful celebration with friends and family.
What is Passover and why is it celebrated?
Passover is celebrated every spring and is considered one of the most anticipated Jewish holidays as it honours their freedom.
Passover is a week-long celebration, usually falling over either March or April.
It commemorates the Jewish people’s exodus from Egypt, with the book of Exodus in the Old Testament describing Passover as a time that celebrates the Jews’ freedom from the brutality they suffered in Egypt.
Passover also represents a time for hope and rebirth in the spring.
During the festival, a Seder is prepared, which is the ritual feast which marks the start of Passover.
When is Passover 2021?
Just like Easter, Passover doesn’t fall on specific dates which means people must find out when it starts and when it is over.
This year, Passover will begin at sundown on Saturday, March 27, and will end a week later on Saturday, April 3, or Sunday, April 4 depending on the family’s tradition.
The first Passover seder occurs on the evening of March 27, and the second Passover seder occurs on the evening of March 28.
Like all Jewish holidays, Passover starts and ends at sundown, and is tied to the phases of the sun and the moon.
The Jewish calendar is different to the standard calendar and its purpose is to keep Jewish holidays at the same season of the year and the same phase of the moon, as Passover always begins on a full moon in the spring.
This means Passover will always fall on the same date on the Jewish calendar, but not on the regular calendar.
How is Passover celebrated?
During the seder, various blessings are recited, including prior to serving symbolic foods.
The Passover meal that is chosen is often based on family history, passed down from generation to generation, this practice can be meaningful and is referred to as ‘Mesorah.’
The most common Jewish food served on Passover is matzah, which is unleavened bread. Other traditional Passover foods include gefilte fish, tzimmis, as well as desserts such as sponge cake and macaroons.
What are some Passover greetings I can learn?
Learning the correct Passover greetings is very useful for those who have never celebrated the holiday.
You can always say “Happy Passover” or “Happy Holiday.”
If you want to try greeting other individuals in Hebrew at a Passover dinner, then you might want to use “Chag Same’ach” which means “happy holiday.”
Another form of greeting for Passover is “Gut Yontif” which is a more Yiddish term for “wishing you a good holiday.”
However, the most common Passover greeting is “Chag Pesach Same’ach” since “Pesach” is the Hebrew term for Passover.
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