Observing Passover

Passover is a predominately Jewish holiday celebrating when God spared the Israelites by killing the first born sons of Egypt. The day is followed by seven days of feasting commemorating the...

Passover is a special time for Jews. Between the large public Seders and the intimate ones in the homes of friends, there is no excuse to miss this annual event. And what other religious ceremony...

Jewish people the world over will soon gather to celebrate Passover. In fact, more Jews celebrate Passover than any other Jewish holiday. One of the special gifts of this holiday is the chance...

How can I make cards to send for Passover? Follow these easy instructions and you can make a customized card with envelope for less than the cost of the stamp to send it!

Seder is a traditional religious feast eaten during Passover. It is most often celebrated by Jewish people on the first night of Passover, though some celebrate it on the first and second night....

One of the most exciting aspects of any holiday is the gifts. This is especially true for children and Passover is no exception. Giving gifts to kids during Passover actually serves more of a...

Passover is one of the high holy holidays of the Jewish faith. It is a celebration that observes Exodus of the former Jewish slaves from Egypt. Passover last seven days, and is considered to...

Passover is a celebration of the Jews' deliverance from the slavery of Pharaoh in Egypt about 3,000 years ago. This marked the first time that the Jews became their own nation. There are many ways...

Passover is a time for the Jewish people to gather with friends and family and read the Haggadah. It is extremely difficult for young children to sit through an entire Seder without any...

As the host of a Passover seder, it is important for you to create an experience that meets the needs of your guests. The following are some suggestions as to how to modify a seder, keeping their...

The Passover Seder is full of traditional songs that many people have known since childhood, and it also offers numerous places for additional music to be performed. Still, many families downplay...

If you observe Passover but are willing to eat on plates that are not Kosher for Passover, you can still eat in some restaurants. The following are some suggestions to make this easier.

While one typically tries to make every meal that guests will attend beautiful, many people put extra time into preparing their Passover seder, as this meal fulfills a ritual prescription....

During the first and second nights of Passover, Jewish families complete a set of rituals in a specific order, known as the seder. "Seder" literally translates as "order." This order is described...

Before eating a holiday meal, Jews perform a ritual hand washing and recite a blessing. During the Passover seder, the hand washing is called urechatz and the blessing is not performed. Another...

Most Jewish holidays start with a blessing called the kiddush. Reciting the kiddush blessing is called saying kaddesh and is the first step of the Passover seder. It is almost identical to the...

As a part of the Passover tradition, children steal the afikomen, a piece of matzah that must be returned before the seder can conclude. They are persuaded to return the afikomen in exchange for...

In the Jewish religion, the motzi is a blessing given over any bread or grain product. It is used for a number of celebrations, including the Passover seder, where it is combined with a special...

Before you can hold a Passover seder in your home, you must thoroughly clean your home and prepare for the holiday. Most preparations concentrate on completely removing all leavened-bread products...

Just as there is a large selection of Christmas and Easter ecards available online, there is now a wide selection of Passover ecards that you can send to your friends and relatives. Many ecards...

Symbolic glasses of wine make up four steps in the observance of Passover. To observe the holiday appropriately, select a wine that meets kosher requirements and complements your seder meal. There...

Many Jewish women have begun to include Miriam's Cup as part of their Passover celebrations, recognizing Miriam's importance in the Passover story. As the story explains, Miriam was responsible...

During the Passover seder, tradition requires that Jewish families retell and discuss the Passover story, including the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, where they had been held as slaves....

As soon as the sun sets at the end of the last day of Passover, Jews in Morocco have traditionally hosted gala open houses called “Mimouna” (“MEE-moo-nah”) with holiday foods and symbolic items on...

Christianity has roots in Judaism. Many Christians celebrate Jewish holidays regardless of their background. Here is how to celebrate Passover as a Christian.

The Festival of Unleavened Bread is a Jewish holiday that immediately follows Passover. It begins on the 15th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar and ends on the 22nd of Nisan for most Jews living...

Passover is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. It marks the beginning of the Jewish nation and their freedom to worship God. The first day of Passover is...

Passover is a Jewish holiday that begins on the 14th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, usually in April. The term Passover refers to the houses of the Israelites that were "passed over" by the...

Passover is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for 7 days by Jews in Israel, most Reform Jews and some Conservative Jews. The exact dates of Passover originally had to be determined by rabbis in...

Passover is a Jewish holiday that primarily commemorates the freedom of the Hebrews from slavery after God punished Egypt with 10 plagues. The word "Passover" comes from the 10th plague in which...

The afikoman is derived from the Greek epikomen, which means "that which comes after," referring to the afikoman's role as a dessert. No other food may be eaten after the afikoman to distinguish...

Ma Nishtanah means "why is it different" in Hebrew, which is the first line of the song. It is also referred to as the Four Questions in English after the 4 questions in the song. It is usually...

The Hallel consists of Psalms 113 through 118 and is a central prayer in Judaism. It is recited by observant Jews as praise and thanksgiving on Jewish holidays, including Passover, Shavuot and...

Kiddush literally means "sanctification" in Hebrew and is a blessing said at the beginning of the Passover Seder to sanctify the meal. Jewish law specifically requires that the Seder be remembered...

Maror is a bitter herb that is eaten during the Passover Seder to represent the bitterness of slavery as described in the Book of Exodus 1:14. It is placed in two locations on the Seder Plate: the...

Matzo is cracker-like bread made from water and flour. To remain kosher, the flour cannot be mixed with water for more than 18 minutes before baking. The dough is pricked to ensure that is does...

The Exodus (when capitalized) refers to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and is described in the Book of Exodus of the Bible. According to Jewish tradition, the Hebrews were enslaved in...

Chametz means "leavened bread" in Hebrew and is generally defined as bread that has been allowed to rise. This is of particular significance during Passover when the Torah prohibits Jews from...

Passover is a Jewish holiday that begins on the 14th day of Nissan in the Jewish calendar. This is usually in April and most Jews celebrate it for 8 days, except for Jews in Israel and some...

The 10 plagues of Egypt are described in the book of Exodus, Chapters 7 to 12. God inflicted these plagues upon Egypt to convince the Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The story of these plagues...

The Birkat Hamazon is Hebrew for "Blessing on Nourishment" and is also known as the Grace After Meals. It is a set of blessings in Hebrew that follows any meal with bread made from barley, oats,...

The Seder is a highly ritualized Jewish feast that occurs on the first night of Passover, which occurs on the 15th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar. A Seder also will be celebrated the following...

Chametz is any food or beverage that contains leavened bread as determined by Jewish law. 2 basic requirements exist for chametz: it must contain barley, emmer, oats, rye or wheat and must be in...

Chametz is the Hebrew word for leavened bread. In the context of Passover, there are generally 2 requirements for a food item to be considered chametz: it must be made of barley, emmer, oats, rye...

Passover is a Jewish holiday usually celebrated in April. Leavened grain products are called chametz and forbidden to observant Jews during Passover. Grain products that have been in contact with...

The fast of the firstborn in Judaism usually occurs the day before Passover. It commemorates the freedom of the Israelites from slavery thanks to the Plague of the Firstborn as described in the...

Passover is the most widely recognized holiday of the Jewish faith. The main components of celebrating Passover are the Seder meal and decorating the table for it.

The Seder plate is one of the most meaningful parts of Passover. Filled with savory items symbolizing the Jewish people's escape from the evil Pharaoh, a Seder plate is a tradition passed on from...

Passover is celebrated in a festive meal called a Seder, during which the exodus of the Jews from Egypt is in a sense reenacted. Passover is perhaps the most important holiday for creating lasting...

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, commemorates the Jews' exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. It ranks as one of the most important and beloved of all Jewish holidays, and it's definitely the...