Passover is a Jewish holiday that takes place every year. It commemorates the Hebrews’ exodus from slavery in Egypt. The feast, also known as Pesach, is often filled with pomp and ceremony on the family’s first night of Seder. When is Passover in 2024?
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Passover, also known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread, occurred around the 1200s BC. The ceremony is commemorated yearly, and various rituals occur during this holiday. It is a time of gratitude, reflection, reaffirmation and celebration of the Jewish people. Passover 2024 is approaching, and families are preparing for the holiday.
What is Passover?
Passover, known as Pesach, is one of the most significant Jewish festivals and holidays. The celebration has been passed from generation to generation.
The first celebration occurred about 1200 BC as a festival commemorating the emancipation of Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. The Passover means the plague that killed firstborns in Egypt passed over the Jewish homes, sparing their children’s lives.
The ceremony is also a way to celebrate Jewish freedom as a nation under God through the leadership of Moses. The festival lasts for either seven or eight days, depending on location.
When is Passover in 2024?
Passover occurs from the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan to the 22nd. This year, the Passover starts on Monday, 22 April 2024, and lasts until Monday, 29 April 2024, or Tuesday, 30 April 2024. The length of the feast is dependent on family tradition and the region. The Passover has a specific start and end time: it starts at sundown and ends at nightfall.
How is Passover celebrated?
The public holiday is marked by gathering family and friends for the celebration. Passover has some key elements that include the following:
- Removal of Leaven (Chametz). Jewish homes must be cleaned, and all leaven, which symbolizes sin, must be removed. This process involves thoroughly cleaning from top to bottom, removing any food containing leaven.
- Ceremonial handwashing. The family gathers around the table, washes their hands using a special laver, and wipes themselves with a clean towel.
- The woman of the house puts the Passover candles on before the Passover Seder begins.
- The Haggadah reading. Haggadah is a text that retells the Exodus story alongside prayers, blessings, and narration of the significance of the Passover.
- The Passover Seder meal is taken.
- Afikomen. Thitraditionat involves three pieces of matzah in a three-compartment bag. The middle is taken out and broken into two, and one piece is wrapped with linen and hidden to be retrieved later.
Passover 2024 first Seder
Seder is the centrepiece of the celebration of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. It is the ceremony meal taken on the first two nights of the feast. The first Seder of 2024 will be held on 22 April after sundown, and the second Seder will occur on 23 April at nightfall.
The meals prepared during the Seder are symbolic, and they include:
- Matzah (unleavened bread). It is made quickly to prevent it from rising and consists of flour and water only. It contains no leavening substance and is traditionally made from wheat, spelt, rye, barley, or oat.
- Bitter herbs (often horseradish).
- Four cups of wine.
- Charoset (a mixture of fruits and nuts).
- A roasted shank bone or chicken wing.
The Festival of Unleavened Bread in ancient times involved sacrificing a lamb, which was roasted and eaten during the Seder meal. This tradition ceased after the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, but its significance remains.
Why are Easter and Passover different in 2024?
The two celebrations differ because the Jewish calendar is tied to solar and lunar cycles. This makes the dates of Passover and Easter fluctuate each year. Different calendars use full moons, leading to varying dates for Western Christians’ Easter, Orthodox Easter, and the Jewish Passover.
Why is Passover significant to Jews?
Pesach is meaningful because it commemorates the Jewish people’s deliverance from ancient Egypt, where they had been enslaved. The story has been passed from generation to generation.
Passover is one of the most essential celebrations among the Jewish people. The feast commemorates their emancipation from slavery in ancient Egypt. The celebration is marked by gathering family and friends for the Seder. Passover in 2024 will occur on 22 April 2024 at nightfall and lasts until 29 April 2024 or 30 April 2024 at sundown.
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Source: Legit.ng