What does passover mean to the jews

Before celebrations can begin the house must be cleaned from top to bottom to remove any traces of chametz leaven from the home. This commemorates the Jews leaving Egypt who did not have time to let their bread rise, but also symbolises removing 'puffiness' arrogance, pride from their souls. The day before Passover begins there is a ritual search for chametz in every home.

The children usually join in with great enthusiasm. A Jew may not eat chametz or derive benefit from it during Passover. He may not even own it or feed it to animals. Any chametz in his possession, or utensils used to prepare food with chametz, have to be temporarily 'sold' to non-Jews. They can be bought back after the holiday.

You can even sell your chametz online! The day before Passover begins the Fast of the Firstborn is observed. All first born males fast on this day to celebrate their escape from the Plague of the First Born. The highlight of Passover observance takes place on the first two nights, when friends and family gather together for ritual seder meals. Seder means 'order' and the ceremonies are arranged in a specific order.

Special plates and cutlery are used which are kept exclusively for Passover. Learning Zone video: Buying kosher food for Pesach. The Haggadah is a book which tells in fourteen steps the story of the Jewish experience in Egypt and of the Exodus and revelation of God. As the story of each of the ten plagues is read out a drop of wine is spilt to remind Jews that their liberation was tinged with sadness at the suffering of the Egyptians. The haggadah also contains songs, blessings, psalms and Four Questions.

These four questions are:. Unleavened bread or matzo is eaten to remember the Exodus when the Israelites fled Egypt with their dough to which they had not yet added yeast. Bitter herbs, usually horseradish, are included in the meal to represent the bitterness of slavery. At the beginning of the meal a piece of potato is dipped in salt water to recall the tears the Jews shed as slaves. In ancient times, people who were free reclined on sofas while they ate.

Today cushions are placed on chairs to symbolise freedom and relaxation, in contrast to slavery. Usually the youngest person present will ask the questions and the father will respond. The paradox of this is that these four questions should be asked spontaneously, but celebrations cannot happen unless they are asked!

Children are central to Passover proceedings and symbolise the continuity of the Jewish people. Customs are designed to hold their attention. There's the hunt for the afikomen , where a piece of matzoh is hidden which children have to find and hold 'ransom' until a reward is given. Each of the components of the meal is symbolic. The food is eaten in ritual order and its meaning and symbolism is discussed.

Passover is also called The Festival of Freedom and is a celebration of freedom, not just in Biblical times, but its importance to the individual today and throughout history. Jews believe freedom to be one of the basic human rights. Readings about contemporary slavery or oppression to show solidarity with the oppressed may be included in some traditions although not in Orthodox Jewish households. Passover can be called the Festival of Spring and was an agricultural festival which marked the beginning of the cycle of production and harvest during the time the Jews lived in ancient Palestine.

Passover is also a pilgrim festival. It is one of the three occasions in the year when, according to the commandments of the Torah , Jews were to go to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Passover began as a ceremony celebrated in the home, but once the Jews settled in Jerusalem they constructed the Temple and the celebrations moved there. Today, Passover celebrations continue to be focussed on the home. This makes Passover the most popular Jewish holiday. Families travel great distances to be together at Passover. In the synagogue there are special readings for each day of the festival. Not only are prayers from the Haggadah the Jewish text read, but there are also very specific foods with multiple symbols placed on the table—the shankbone, karpas, chazeret, charoset, maror typically horseradish , matzah, and egg.

The shankbone represents the lamb sacrifice this isn't typically eaten, unless you're into that , the egg symbolizes springtime neither is this since it's typically roasted , the chazeret and maror bring tears to serve as a reminder of the slavery the Jews went through, the karpas represents the freshness of spring, and the charoset represents the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks.

Salt water typically sits on the table to represent the tears shed, and of course there's the matzah as a reminder of how quickly the Jews needed to act to have their freedom.

There's also a requirement to have four cups of wine no argument here , which represent the four biblical promises of redemption. Matzo ball soup isn't a must, but it's definitely a plus at any Jewish dinner table. You'll often find gefilte fish your call , brisket, roast chicken, sweet potatoes, and potato kugel at the table as well. The Passover Afikoman game was originated for children, but, let's be honest, you definitely still want to play this in your 20s. Here's how it works: One person breaks a piece of matzah in half and leaves a part of it on the table.

The other half is hidden somewhere in your house, and whoever finds it first gets a prize. Happy Passover! United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. The New Power Dressing. Hollywood Loves Books. Smith-Cameron Is in Control. Design by Bridget Burns Getty Images. Instead of bread, religious Jews eat a type of flatbread called matzo. According to tradition, this is because the Hebrews fled Egypt in such haste that there was no time for their bread to rise, or perhaps because matzo was lighter and easier to carry through the desert than regular bread.

On the first two nights of Passover, families and friends gather for a religious feast known as a seder for the Jewish holiday. For example, vegetables are dipped into salt water representing the tears Jews shed during their time as slaves, and bitter herbs usually horseradish symbolizing the unpleasant years of their bondage are eaten. A seder plate at the center of the table contains Passover foods with particular significance to the exodus story, including matzo, bitter herbs, a lamb shankbone and a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine known as charoset , which represents the mortar Jews used while bonding bricks as slaves in Egypt.

Other typical menu items include matzo kugel a pudding made from matzo and apples , poached fish patties called gefilte fish and chicken soup with matzo balls. Children play an important role in the seder and are expected to take part in many of its customs. At one point during the meal, the youngest child present recites the four questions, which ask what distinguishes this special night from all other nights.

In many households, young people also enjoy participating in the traditional hunt for the afikomen , a piece of matzo that is hidden early in the evening. The finder is rewarded with a prize or money. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!

Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The Jewish calendar is full of holidays with rich food histories. Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is considered the most important holiday in the Jewish faith. Falling in the month of Tishrei September or October in the Gregorian calendar , it marks the culmination of the 10 Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance that follows The eight-day Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates the rededication during the second century B.

Rosh Hashanah commemorates Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament of the Bible, the event is said to have occurred three days after Jesus was crucified by the Romans and died in roughly 30 A.

Easter traditions and symbols have evolved over time, though some have been around for centuries.