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| Passover 2016: When does the Jewish festival begin? How is it celebrated? | |
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| The ancient Jewish festival of Passover starts at sunset on Friday 22 April 2016. | The ancient Jewish festival of Passover starts at sunset on Friday 22 April 2016. |
| On this evening, many Jewish families will gather together for a traditional ‘Seder’ meal to celebrate the beginning of Passover, known as Pesach in Hebrew. | On this evening, many Jewish families will gather together for a traditional ‘Seder’ meal to celebrate the beginning of Passover, known as Pesach in Hebrew. |
| It depends - either seven or eight days. For some people, including Orthodox Jews living outside of Israel, the festival is eight days long, and continues until the next Saturday evening (30 April). | It depends - either seven or eight days. For some people, including Orthodox Jews living outside of Israel, the festival is eight days long, and continues until the next Saturday evening (30 April). |
| For others, including most Reform Jews, the festival goes on for seven days and ends on Friday 29 April. | For others, including most Reform Jews, the festival goes on for seven days and ends on Friday 29 April. |
| Raymond Simonson, CEO of north London Jewish community centre JW3, says that Passover is one of the most important Jewish festivals. | Raymond Simonson, CEO of north London Jewish community centre JW3, says that Passover is one of the most important Jewish festivals. |
| “Even the most secular Jews, who might not celebrate any other festival - they might not fast on Yom Kippur, or go to Synagogue on Jewish new year - if there’s one festival they’ll do it’s more likely to be Pesach than anything else,” he says. | “Even the most secular Jews, who might not celebrate any other festival - they might not fast on Yom Kippur, or go to Synagogue on Jewish new year - if there’s one festival they’ll do it’s more likely to be Pesach than anything else,” he says. |
| During Passover, Jewish people remember how Moses freed the Israelites who the Torah says were enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaohs. | During Passover, Jewish people remember how Moses freed the Israelites who the Torah says were enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaohs. |
| According to the Book of Exodus, Moses warned the Pharaoh that if he failed to free the Israelites, Egypt would be hit by a host of terrible plagues including blood, frogs, darkness, and the death of every first-born male in Egypt. | According to the Book of Exodus, Moses warned the Pharaoh that if he failed to free the Israelites, Egypt would be hit by a host of terrible plagues including blood, frogs, darkness, and the death of every first-born male in Egypt. |
| Eventually the Pharaoh gave in and told Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt. This exodus is an important thread in many stories and prayers. | Eventually the Pharaoh gave in and told Moses and the Israelites to leave Egypt. This exodus is an important thread in many stories and prayers. |
| Jewish people believe that when the Pharaoh refused to free the slaves and ignored the other plagues, God set about killing every first-born male in Egypt. | Jewish people believe that when the Pharaoh refused to free the slaves and ignored the other plagues, God set about killing every first-born male in Egypt. |
| God warned Moses that to protect their first-born sons, the Israelites should mark their doors with lambs' blood so God would know to ‘pass over’ their houses and spare them from the plague. | God warned Moses that to protect their first-born sons, the Israelites should mark their doors with lambs' blood so God would know to ‘pass over’ their houses and spare them from the plague. |
| Jewish families come together for a traditional meal called the Seder, which means ‘order’, because everything is done in a particular order, according to a book called the Haggadah. | Jewish families come together for a traditional meal called the Seder, which means ‘order’, because everything is done in a particular order, according to a book called the Haggadah. |
| “The whole theme of the special meal on the Seder night is to remember the exodus of Egypt as if we were there,” says Mr Simonson. “It’s not when ‘they’ were, our ancestors. It’s ‘when I left Egypt, this is what happened to me.’ It’s educational and experiential.” | “The whole theme of the special meal on the Seder night is to remember the exodus of Egypt as if we were there,” says Mr Simonson. “It’s not when ‘they’ were, our ancestors. It’s ‘when I left Egypt, this is what happened to me.’ It’s educational and experiential.” |
| “We must remember what it was like when we were slaves, so we must fight so there are no more slaves and everyone is free,” he says. | “We must remember what it was like when we were slaves, so we must fight so there are no more slaves and everyone is free,” he says. |
| “Every year, different people, depending on their own values and ethics, will weave in modern themes. I guarantee there will be hundreds of Jewish households in England that Friday night who will be talking about the current refugee crisis.” | “Every year, different people, depending on their own values and ethics, will weave in modern themes. I guarantee there will be hundreds of Jewish households in England that Friday night who will be talking about the current refugee crisis.” |
| The Seder plate includes a lamb bone, a roasted hard-boiled egg, a green vegetable to dip in salt water, bitter herbs made from horseradish and a paste made of chopped apples, called Charoset and walnuts. | The Seder plate includes a lamb bone, a roasted hard-boiled egg, a green vegetable to dip in salt water, bitter herbs made from horseradish and a paste made of chopped apples, called Charoset and walnuts. |
| According to the Book of Exodus, the Israelites left in such a rush that their bread did not have time to rise. This is why Jewish people eat unleavened bread, known as matzoh, which is similar to crackers, during Passover. | According to the Book of Exodus, the Israelites left in such a rush that their bread did not have time to rise. This is why Jewish people eat unleavened bread, known as matzoh, which is similar to crackers, during Passover. |
| It is traditionally viewed as the bread of the poor, and is symbolically consumed to remind followers of their ancestors' hardships. | It is traditionally viewed as the bread of the poor, and is symbolically consumed to remind followers of their ancestors' hardships. |
| For eight or seven days after the first Seder, Jewish people abstain from all forms of leavened foods including bread, cakes and muffins. | For eight or seven days after the first Seder, Jewish people abstain from all forms of leavened foods including bread, cakes and muffins. |
| Some people come up with creative solutions to this - “I make lasagna but with sheets of matzoh instead of pasta,” says Mr Simonson. | Some people come up with creative solutions to this - “I make lasagna but with sheets of matzoh instead of pasta,” says Mr Simonson. |
| “Whether to eat rice or beans is one of the most discussed customs or traditions. It’s what everyone seems to be talking about at the moment,” says Mr Simonson. | “Whether to eat rice or beans is one of the most discussed customs or traditions. It’s what everyone seems to be talking about at the moment,” says Mr Simonson. |
| Some grains and other foods, such as beans, peas, corn, rice, chickpeas and sesame, are traditionally prohibited by some Jewish people during Passover. These are known as kitniyot. | Some grains and other foods, such as beans, peas, corn, rice, chickpeas and sesame, are traditionally prohibited by some Jewish people during Passover. These are known as kitniyot. |
| However, many Sephardic Jews continue to eat kitniyot on Passover, says Mr Simonson. | However, many Sephardic Jews continue to eat kitniyot on Passover, says Mr Simonson. |
| “It depends on your family and background,” he says. “Every year, more and more people say, ‘hold on, this kitniyot isn’t forbidden by law in the same way. It’s more of a tradition to do with how they were packed in sacks.’” | “It depends on your family and background,” he says. “Every year, more and more people say, ‘hold on, this kitniyot isn’t forbidden by law in the same way. It’s more of a tradition to do with how they were packed in sacks.’” |
| As leavened goods are banned during the holiday, the weeks leading up to Passover are traditionally spent cleaning. Every nook and cranny is scrubbed to get rid of even the tiniest forbidden crumb that might lurk there. | As leavened goods are banned during the holiday, the weeks leading up to Passover are traditionally spent cleaning. Every nook and cranny is scrubbed to get rid of even the tiniest forbidden crumb that might lurk there. |
| Some say this is the origin of the Spring clean. | Some say this is the origin of the Spring clean. |