Passover 2015

Everything you need to know about Passover 2015.

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Passover 2015 begins Friday evening, April 3, and ends Saturday evening, April 11.

What is Passover?

Passover is a festival of freedom.

It commemorates the Israelites’s Exodus from Egypt, and their transistion from slavery to freedom. The main ritual of Passover is the seder, which occurs on the first night (or, outside of Israel, the first two nights) of the holiday–a festive meal that involves the re-telling of the Exodus through stories and song and the consumption of ritual foods, including matzah and maror.

What are some Passover practices?

The most salient Passover practice is a set of intense changes to the usual dietary cycle, including the absence of hametz, or foods with leaven. The ecstatic cycle of psalms called Hallel is recited both at night and day (during the Seder and morning prayers). Additionally, Passover commences a 49-day period called the Omer, which recalls the count between offerings brought to the Temple in Jerusalem. This count culminates in the holiday of Shavuot, the anniversary of the reception of the Torah.

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What foods do we eat on Passover?

Matzah, or unleavened bread, is the main food of Passover. You can purchase it in numerous stores, or you can make your own. But that’s not the only dietary addition! There are many traditional, popularfoods, from haroset (a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon) to matzo ball soup–and the absence of leavening calls upon a cook to employ all of his/her culinary creativity.

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Discover More

Four Alternate Names for Passover

The Jewish festival of freedom and unleavened bread goes by many names.

Bedikat Hametz: The Search for Leaven Before Passover

A step-by-step guide to the ritual for ridding one’s home of leavened foods before Passover.

What Happens When Passover Begins on Saturday Night?

This rare occurrence mandates a number of adjustments to pre-holiday rituals.

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