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Celebrating Passover

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The next Passover begins on Friday April 6, 2012. Passover is an eight-day festival that celebrates the ancient Israelites freedom from slavery in Egypt. The first two days of Passover are celebrated with candle lightings and the traditional sedar meals with friends and family. Many Jews abstain from all types of work during these days. The middle four days are called chol hamoed, and are still celebratory, but work is permitted and meals are back to normal. The final two days, the party is back on with delicious feasting with friends and family.

A period of fasting begins at the end of Passover in remembrance of the unleavened bread the Israelites ate while traveling through the desert. In honor of this hardship, observing Jews abstain from all forms of wheat. During this time, Matsah, flat unleavened bread, is a very popular food.

Tradition

The Story of Passover

Passover is an important holiday in the Jewish religion because it celebrates the freeing of the Israelites from Pharaoh Ramses II through the suffering of the 10 Plagues. The name, Passover, comes from special instructions given to the Jews by god to save their Children from the 10th plague, death of the first born. See this article for the complete story of the first Passover. Read More

Tip

Haggadah Tips

Remembering why we maintain the traditions we do is critical to appropriately celebrating them. In this, the reading of the Haggadah is important for children and adults alike to remind us of the events of the first Passover. Here is a great starter to creating your very own Haggadah for your next Passover Meal. Read More

Tradition

Passover Traditions: The Seder Plate

The Sedar Plate is a special plate containing traditional or symbolic food eaten at a Passover Meal. There are many approaches to decorating a Sedar plate, here are a few creative ideas on how to make yours extra special this year. Read More

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