Easter traditions and symbols have evolved over time, though some have been around for centuries. While to Christians, Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, many Easter traditions are not found in the Bible. The most prominent secular symbol of the Christian Veterans Day is a U. In , on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Earth Day was founded in as a day of education about environmental issues, and Earth Day will occur on Friday, April Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia.
Live TV. This Day In History. History Vault. Jews observe the weeklong festival with a number of important rituals, including a traditional Passover meal known as a seder, the removal of leavened products from their home, the substitution of matzo for bread and the retelling of the exodus tale When Is Passover ? The Passover Story According to the Hebrew Bible , Jewish settlement in ancient Egypt first occurs when Joseph, a son of the patriarch Jacob and founder of one of the 12 tribes of Israel , moves his family there during a severe famine in their homeland of Canaan.
Recommended for you. Ask a Rabbi: What is Passover? Passover Matzo. Learning Zone video: The meaning of Passover for young Jews today. Passover lasts seven days - the first and seventh days are observed as full days of rest yom tov , and the middle five as intermediate holidays hol ha-moed. The Torah says to celebrate Passover for seven days, but Jews in the Diaspora lived too far away from Israel to receive word as to when to begin their observances and an additional day of celebration was added to be on the safe side.
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. All of these aspects are discussed, if not symbolically represented, during the Passover seder. Whether or not the Exodus actually happened remains unclear , and it continues to be a mystery that still confounds biblical scholars and archeologists alike. Elon Gilad, who writes about history and language, told Haaretz that Passover traditions are actually the result of merging of two ancient festivals celebrating spring, one of nomadic origin and one from villages.
Passover takes place in early spring during the Hebrew calendar month of Nissan, as prescribed in the book of Exodus. Because the Hebrew calendar does not match up with the Gregorian calendar, the date of Passover along with other Jewish holidays changes every year.
In , Passover will take place from sundown on April 8 to sundown on April In contemporary Passover celebrations, relevant political or social justice themes have been incorporated into the seder. And while there are myriad Haggadot to choose from to fit nearly all religious, age-specific, political or even satirical needs , the retelling of the Exodus is a key fixture in a Haggadah, along with the reading of the 10 plagues, the asking of the four questions, and explaining various Passover rituals, some of which date back 2, years, according to My Jewish Learning.
In the very basic Passover storyline , the Pharaoh is fearful that there will be too many Jews living in Egypt so he institutes slavery and demands that male Jewish babies be killed. After killing a slave master, Moses flees into the desert, and encounters a burning bush of God revealing himself to Moses. God tells Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Jews out of slavery.
Moses goes to the Pharaoh and asks that he let the Jews go free from Egypt. This year it begins on the evening of March Family and friends come together to eat traditional dishes. They put the dough in travelling sacks and as they crossed the desert, the hot sun baked the dough into the thin, hard matzah. At the beginning of the Seder meal, one piece of the matzah is broken and a piece of it is hidden.
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