Whether we know it or not, most of us are familiar with the Jewish holiday of Passover. The story behind the holiday is not only well-known and well-documented (in movies and television specials, for example), but it is also a very exciting story.
Easter begins several thousand years ago, in Old Testament times. The Jews served the Egyptian Pharaoh, and (if you don’t already know) Moses was called by God to deliver the Jews. Moses initially demands that Pharaoh let his people go, and when Pharaoh does not comply, Moses is warned that God will send ten punishments on Egypt. The key punishment here is the last one: the killing of the firstborn. An angel descended into the city and killed all the firstborn. But God admonishes his people to paint their doors with the blood of the lamb, because he causes an angel to pass through their house. Needless to say, Pharaoh loses his firstborn son and finally complies with Moses’ demands.
The story of the Passover ends with Pharaoh and his army pursuing the freed Jews. At the Red Sea, when the Jews are afraid of being captured, God opens the sea and allows passage. When Pharaoh and his army follow, the sea closes and drowns in its waters.
This story, which comes from the Exodus in the Bible, is the basis of the Jewish holiday. The name for holiday is believed to have come from an angel passing through the house showing the blood of a lamb. FYI: There is also an interesting theory that since the Hebrew name for the holiday (Pesach) is given by carrying a lamb, that is also the origin of the name of Passover.
A celebration
Passover is the eighth day of the holiday that begins on Nisan 14 (equivalent to various times throughout April and May) and it ended on the 21st.
Preparation
Before the holiday even begins, the home must be freed from all leavened food (“hametz” in Hebrew). leaven means leaven in foods, or the agent from which food originates. An obvious example of this is in bread, and according to a religious myth, the Jews thus quick-breads”>quick to leave the city not enough to rise bread. This yeast food is usually sold before holidays
seat(s)
Seders occur on the first two nights of Passover, and are essentially feasts that highlight the holiday. (Note: In Israel, the Seder is held only on the first night) The meals are very elaborate, and all the utensils are vital to the meal itself.
The five significant foods are haroseth, celery, egg, bone, and bitter herbs. Haroseth is a mixture of foods, which is used like cement in building bricks. Celery is dyed with salt water to the sorrow of the Jews. The egg represents spring, when it is dealt with in the Exodus, and the bone represents the sacrificed lamb. Finally, the herbs represent the bitterness of slavery. Matzah is the most important food of the Passover, and is broken and eaten in a special ritual. Four servings of wine are also poured out during the course of the festival, with a fifth placed on the table as an offering.
Passover officially begins before the holiday, when the festive candles (Yom Tov candles) are lit. The first cup of wine is drunk, and the hands are washed . The symbolic celery is then eaten as an orexin and the matzah, which lies in the middle of the table, is broken into two parts. The participants tell the story of Passover and invite those in need to join the Seder. After the elaborate story of the Passover (divided into four narratives, each of which consists of a different story), they drink a second cup of wine. The hands are washed a second time, the matzah is blessed, and the matzah and bitter sandwich is made. the grass is eaten. Finally (!) the meal is ready and eaten. The feast is not yet completed, as part of the hidden matzah (called afikomen) is eaten, and grace is said. A third cup of wine is eaten, and the cup of Elijah the prophet is offered. A song of praise is sung, and the last cup of wine is drunk.
Why are Seders so important? Seders are essentially a repeat of the story of the Exodus. In addition to the narrative itself, elaborate aspects of the festival are symbolic of various aspects of the Jewish struggle at that time. Although the festival lasts eight days, these two first (or the first Israelites) contain the history of the Passover.
