Passover is a sacred religious Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for multiple millenia. It celebrates a pivotal moment in early Jewish history that happened over three thousand years ago. The celebrations and traditions are also equally revered.
What is Passover? Continue reading to learn more about the Jewish holiday.
Origins
Passover is known as the most important Jewish holiday because of its religious origins and liberation from Jewish slavery. Britannica, the world’s oldest continuously published encyclopedia, states that the holiday “commemorates the Hebrews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt.” They add that the holiday represents “the ‘passing over’ of the forces of destruction…on the eve of the Exodus.” Passover can be an empowering time for the Jewish people for its remarkable origins and celebrations. Because of the holiday’s significance, it is celebrated over one week, honoring the hardship and freedom that the Jewish achieved.
Celebrations, Traditions, & Feasts
Passover’s celebrations, traditions, and feasts are highly regarded for their direct connection to the first celebrations. National Today, a website that records holidays, notes that Passover “is the first day of the ritual, which lasts seven or eight days.” They list “Sedar—a traditional dinner with very specific foods and wine that includes readings from the ‘Haggadah,’ which tells the holiday’s story.”
Many of the foods, like zeroa, roasted animal bone, are directly mentioned in the biblical story carrying the holiday’s legacy. Lastly, several prayers and ceremonies are held to rejoice and parallel significant points in the story. While the holiday reflects the origins of biblical events, some additional customs have garnered attention.
Present Day
Unlike some holidays, Passover maintained its feast and prayer traditions for several centuries, but new customs have emerged. USA Today, a daily middle-market newspaper, reports that “different families or communities will use different Haggadahs (book of stories & prayers) during Passover.” The report also suggests that individuals are encouraged to see “themselves as central to the story.” The holiday is meant to be enlightening and uplifting, which this relatively new practice can achieve.
Another way this holiday is celebrated is by eliminating modern practices before and during the holiday long week. Today, a daily news broadcast noted that “members of more observant communities abstain from…driving, using electricity, lighting fires, and spending money.” Again, all modern or past acts are meant to parallel the holiday’s historical events and pay tribute to what the Jewish faced before Exodus.
What is Passover?
Passover is a widely celebrated sacred Jewish holiday that honors the millennia-practiced holy history and feasts. The holiday commemorates the events of Jewish freedom from slavery and emphasizes the importance of rejoicing and feasting the same foods and drinks as the event. In modern times, the holiday serves to uplift the Jewish and insert themselves as center to the story, while also paying tribute by maintaining traditions.
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