JUDAISM PASSOVER
General location where Passover takes place
Passover is one of the most important festivals in Jewish year. In Hebrew, it is called Pesach. It happens on the evening of the 15th day of Nisan-the 7th month of the year in Jewish calendar. The festival lasts for seven or eight days, depending on where you live in. It takes place at home with family and friends.
Historical purpose of Passover
The festival is called Passover because of this event: Moses went to see the pharaoh to ask him to release the Israelites, but every time he asks, the pharaoh would refuse. Moses then warned the pharaoh, that if he doesn’t release them, God will send ten terrible plagues on Egypt-blood, frogs, gnats, flies, blight of the livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of the first born. God told Moses that the Israelites should mark their door posts with lamb blood, so God would ‘pass-over’ houses and would spare them the terrible plagues. The Pharaoh soon gave in and released the Israelites. Moses and the Israelites was in such a rush that their bread did not have time to rise.
This is why Jewish people eat unleavened bread called Matzah during Passover.
Rituals that takes place during Passover
Families need to clean their houses to remove all leavened (or as it is also called chametz) crumbs to remember the Jews leaving Egypt who didn’t had time to wait for their bread to rise. Many children enjoy taking parting finding the crumbs that are left behind.
All the crumbs that are removed should be brushed into a disposable bag with a feather or a palm branch saying, "All leaven I have not seen or removed or that I don't know about is hereby null and void and ownerless as the dust of the earth." Then, after that, you have to burn the chametz or crumbs. If you do not burn it, you can also store them in a remote, sealed-off place in the house or either ‘sell’ them to a non-Jewish friend, and repurchase it after the Passover.
The first-born male of the family must fast on the day before Passover to commemorate the fact that the first-born males in Egypt were not killed during the final plague. You can go to work during Passover except on the first and last days. If you are a traditional Jew outside Israel, then you must not go to work on the first two and last two days. The days that you are allowed to work are called Chol Ha-Mo'ed.
Ways in which Jews celebrate Passover today
Passover lasts for seven days (eight days for traditional Jews outside of Israel). A meal called Seder with family and friends are to be observed on the first night of the Passover (for traditional Jews outside Israel, the Seder is observed on the first two nights).
The content of the Seder plate:
· A lamb bone
· A roasted egg
· A green vegetable to dip in salt water
· Bitter herbs made from horseradish
· Charoset (a paste of chopped apples, walnuts and wine)
There are three Matzot-unleavened bread-stacked together on the table. At the start of the Seder, the middle piece of Matzah is broken and the largest piece is hidden. During the Seder, the children hunt for it, the child who finds it will get a prize.
Four small glasses of wine are drunk to represent the four expressions of freedom which refer to the Israelites being brought out of slavery. Wine symbolises Joy and Happiness. An extra cup of wine is placed on the table and the door is left open for Elijah. Elijah is a prophet that the Jews believe will reappear to announce the coming of the Messiah during Pesach-Passover.
The story of how the Israelites fled from Egypt is retold from a book called the Haggadah during the evening.
To remind Jews that they are now free people and not slaves, everyone at the Seder will have a cushion to sit on.
Everyone at the Seder takes turns reading the Haggadah. Songs are sung and four questions will be asked by the youngest child in the family, the father will answer the questions.
Sometimes, if Pesach-Passover-takes place on a motzaei Shabbat, which is on a Saturday night after Shabbat has finished. If that happens, the fasting of the first-born males are to be observed on Thursday. The search for crumbs are to be also observed on Thursday instead of on the night before Pesach.
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