Understanding the Passover traditions and history, along with the meaning of each of the 15 steps, can make the festival even more memorable.
The Jewish festival of Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, the liberation of the Israelite slaves from the Egyptian Pharaoh's rule. As described in the first 15 chapters of the biblical Book of Exodus, the story of Passover is the history of the Children of Israel who become the Jewish nation. Freedom from slavery was the first step in the story of the Jewish people, who traveled from Egypt through the Sinai desert and received the Torah at Mount Sinai before continuing their journey to the Promised Land of Israel.
The name for the holiday, Pesach in Hebrew, means "he passed over" and refers to the last of the ten plagues sent to Egypt by God, which is Death of the Firstborn. The Hebrew slaves were instructed to paint their doorways with the blood of a lamb, which they were instructed to cook and eat that night, and the Angel of Death would see the blood and "pass over" their houses, only smiting the firstborn of the Egyptians. Passover is also known as the Festival of Matzo, and the Time of Our Freedom.
Biblical and Talmudic Origins
The story of Passover, as well as commandments regarding when and how to celebrate the holiday, originate in the Torah (bible) itself. However, the custom of having a Passover Seder, with ritual and symbolic foods, developed in Talmudic times.
The custom began as a modified version of first-century CE Greco-Roman ritualized meals called "Symposia." The original Rabbinic Seder began with serving and eating the meal, followed by spontaneous questions among the Seder participants to prompt discussion, a detailed retelling of the Exodus from Egypt, and finally, a recitation of the ten plagues. By 200 CE, the Seder meal was postponed until after the discussion and set questions known as the "Ma Nishtanah" replaced the spontaneous questions. The early Haggadah began as a narrative to the Seder meal. Over time, the Haggadah grew larger and more varied, including more commentary, cultural inclusions and ritual symbolic foods.
The Passover Seder
The Passover Seder is a ritual meal, with a proscribed order for eating, drinking, discussion, prayer and even a game. The festival is eight days long, with the first and last two days being major holidays with prohibitions concerning work, and the days in between known as Chol HaMoed. Passover Seders are held on the first and second nights, although some families have Seders only on the first night of Passover.
The Passover Seder consists of 15 steps, outlined in the Haggadah. The Haggadah may also include readings, discussions, songs and commentary in between, but the 15 steps are included in every version of a Passover Haggadah. They are:
Other Traditions
It is common for families observing Passover to clean their homes completely, and remove all traces of any foods containing the forbidden chametz during the holiday. Instead of bread, flat, cracker-like matzo is substituted. Some families clean out all appliances and use special dishes, which have never come in contact with chametz.
There is a ritual called biyur chametz, "burning chametz," which is traditionally done when the housecleaning and chametz removal is complete. It involves searching for the last traces of chametz (after hiding a few pieces of bread around the house), finding it and burning it, declaring the home free of chametz.
During the Seder, modern additions may be included at the host's discretion, such as adding an orange to the Seder plate, which symbolizes the need for Judaism to treat all Jews equally, or the Cup of Miriam, a wine glass that gets filled with water from everyone's glass in honor of Miriam, Moses' sister, who contributed to helping the Hebrews in their travels through the desert. Some families' Passover Seders last a few hours, and some last late into the night. It all depends on how much discussion takes place between the designated Seder steps.
Many other rich and interesting traditions of Passover exist, which is why Passover is among the most widely observed of all Jewish festivals.
 | You have many options when choosing a Passover Haggadah. The varieties available allow the host to have a meaningful Seder that is tailored specifically for his or her guests' interests, allowing for thoughtful discussions, new ideas and new perspectives on the themes of Passover. |
 | Parents know that it's important to include some extra Jewish Passover activities for children so the long evening will go smoothly. |
The Jewish Passover story is told as a part of the Passover Seder. You can get all of your guests, including the kids, involved with telling the Passover story and discussing Jewish practices. |
Whether we are aware of it or not, most of us are somewhat familiar with the Jewish holiday of Passover. The story behind the holiday is not only well-known and well-documented (in films and television specials, for instance), but it is also quite an exciting tale. |&&|The Old Testament Tale |&&|Passover begins a few thousand years ago, in the biblical Old Testament times. |
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is the celebration of freedom for the Jewish people. The story of Passover can be found in the Torah's second book, Exodus. The Jews were slaves of the Pharaoh in Egypt. They were forced to build his monuments and cities, or face death. |
