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When is Passover?
Passover falls on Wednesday, April 21, 2027.
About Passover
Passover, known in Hebrew as Pesach, is one of the most important festivals in Judaism. It remembers the Exodus, the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt as told in the Hebrew Bible. The festival's name refers to the account in which the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, passed over the houses of the Israelites. Passover lasts seven days in Israel and among many Jews, and eight days for many others outside Israel. It begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, in spring, and the Gregorian date moves each year, usually falling in March or April.
The central event of Passover is the seder, a ritual meal held on the first night, and on the second night in many communities outside Israel. The seder follows a set order of readings, blessings, symbolic foods and the retelling of the Exodus story from a book called the Haggadah. Throughout the festival, observant Jews do not eat leavened bread or other leavened products, recalling that the Israelites left Egypt in haste without time for their bread to rise. Instead they eat matzo, a flat unleavened bread, and homes are cleared of leaven before the festival begins. Passover is a public holiday in Israel, and the first and last days are the most strictly observed.
Frequently asked questions
What is Passover?
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is a major Jewish festival that remembers the Exodus, when the Israelites were freed from slavery in ancient Egypt. The name comes from the biblical account in which the final plague, the death of the firstborn, passed over the homes of the Israelites. The festival lasts seven or eight days, depending on the community, and it begins in spring. It is one of the most widely observed festivals in Judaism, centred on a family meal and the retelling of the Exodus story.
When is Passover?
Passover begins at sundown on the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar. Because that calendar is lunisolar, the Gregorian date moves each year, usually falling in late March or April. The festival lasts seven days in Israel and for many Jews, and eight days for many Jewish communities outside Israel. Passover is timed to spring, and it often falls near the Christian festival of Easter, since the events of the Gospels take place at Passover.
What is a Passover seder?
The seder is the central ritual of Passover, a structured meal held on the first night, and on the second night too in many communities outside Israel. The word seder means order, and the evening follows a set sequence of steps. Families read the Exodus story from a book called the Haggadah, recite blessings, drink four cups of wine, and eat symbolic foods. These include matzo, the unleavened bread, and bitter herbs that represent the bitterness of slavery.
Why is bread not eaten during Passover?
During Passover, observant Jews avoid leavened bread and other leavened foods, known as chametz. This recalls the biblical account that the Israelites left Egypt in such haste that their bread had no time to rise. In its place they eat matzo, a flat unleavened bread. Before the festival, households thoroughly clean and clear out any chametz. The practice is one of the most distinctive features of Passover and shapes the food eaten throughout the week.
Is Passover a public holiday?
Passover is a public holiday in Israel, where the first and last days are full holidays with work restrictions and the days in between are partial holidays. In other countries it is not generally a public holiday, but it is widely observed within Jewish communities, and the first nights, with their seder meals, are important family occasions. Schools and employers in some areas with large Jewish populations make allowances for the holiday.