<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><base href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Passover"><style id="print"></style><title>Passover | Story, Meaning, Traditions, & Facts | Britannica</title><div class="original-url"><br><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Passover">https://www.britannica.com/topic/Passover</a><br><br></div><div id="article" role="article" style="-webkit-locale: "en"; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 1.2em; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class="system exported">
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<div class="page" style="text-align: start; overflow-wrap: break-word; max-width: 100%;"><h1 class="title" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.95552em; line-height: 1.2141em; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: start; display: block; max-width: 100%;">Passover</h1><div class="metadata singleline" style="text-align: start; display: block; margin-bottom: 1.45em; margin-top: -0.75em; max-width: 100%;"><time datetime="2023-03-27T00:00:00CDT" class="date" style="margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; font-size: 1em !important; font-weight: normal !important; font-style: normal !important; display: inline !important;">Mar 27, 2023</time></div><div class="leading-image" style="max-width: 100%; margin-bottom: 1.15em; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: -apple-system-font; font-size: 0.75rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/72/76572-050-F40B8573/plate-Vienna-Jewish-Museum-New-York-City-1807.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop" alt="Passover plate" class="" style="max-width: 100%; height: auto; margin: auto; display: block; clear: both;" data-unique-identifier=""></div><p style="max-width: 100%;"><strong style="max-width: 100%;"><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span>Passover</strong>, Hebrew <strong style="max-width: 100%;">Pesaḥ</strong> or <strong style="max-width: 100%;">Pesach</strong>, in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Judaism" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">Judaism</a>, holiday <a data-term="commemorating" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorating" data-type="MW" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">commemorating</a> the Hebrews’ liberation from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/slavery-sociology" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">slavery</a> in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of the <span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Exodus-Old-Testament" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">Exodus</a>. Passover begins with the 15th and ends with the 21st (or, outside of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Israel" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">Israel</a> and among Reform Jews, the 22nd) day of the month of Nisan (March or April). On these seven (or eight) days, all leaven, whether in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/bread" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">bread</a> or other mixture, is prohibited, and only unleavened bread, called <span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/matzo" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">matzo</a>, may be eaten. The matzo symbolizes both the Hebrews’ suffering while in bondage and the haste with which they left Egypt in the course of the <a data-term="Exodus" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Exodus" data-type="EB" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">Exodus</a>. Passover is also sometimes called the Festival of Unleavened Bread.</p><!--[P1]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><!--[AM1]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><!--[MOD1]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><div data-type="other" style="max-width: 100%;"><div style="max-width: 100%;"><div style="max-width: 100%;"><div style="max-width: 100%;"><figure data-assembly-id="277745" style="max-width: 100%; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: -apple-system-font; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65); margin: 0px;"><div data-type="video" style="max-width: 100%;"><a data-id="240837" href="/video/240837/significance-history-Jewish-holiday-Passover" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/37/240837-138-6BB851D7/significance-history-Jewish-holiday-Passover.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="What and when is Passover?" loading="lazy" class="" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0.5em auto; display: block; height: auto;" data-unique-identifier=""><p style="max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.4em;"><em data-icon="play_arrow" style="max-width: 100%;"></em></p></a></div><figcaption style="max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.8em; width: 100%; font-size: 0.75rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);"><p style="max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.4em; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">What and when is Passover?</p><a href="/topic/Passover/images-videos" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.25em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; text-decoration: underline;">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div><div style="max-width: 100%;"><figure data-assembly-id="138419" style="max-width: 100%; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: -apple-system-font; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65); margin: 0px;"><div data-type="image" style="max-width: 100%;"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/96042-050-DE6F7DFF/seder-ritual-meal-cohesion-event-Jewish-Passover.jpg" data-href="/media/1/445894/138419" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/96042-050-DE6F7DFF/seder-ritual-meal-cohesion-event-Jewish-Passover.jpg?w=300" alt="seder" data-width="1600" data-height="1089" loading="eager" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0.5em auto; display: block; height: auto;" data-unique-identifier=""></a></div><figcaption style="max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.8em; width: 100%; font-size: 0.75rem; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/42/96042-050-DE6F7DFF/seder-ritual-meal-cohesion-event-Jewish-Passover.jpg" data-href="/media/1/445894/138419" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; margin-top: 0.25em; margin-bottom: 0.25em; text-decoration: underline;">seder</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div></div><p style="max-width: 100%;">Passover is often celebrated with great pomp and ceremony, especially on the first night, when a special family meal called the <span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/seder-Passover-meal" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">seder</a> is held. At the seder, foods of symbolic significance commemorating the Hebrews’ liberation are eaten, and prayers and traditional recitations are performed. Though the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/feast-religion" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">festival</a> of Passover is meant to be one of great rejoicing, strict dietary laws must be observed, and special prohibitions restrict work at the beginning and end of the celebration. <em style="max-width: 100%;">See also</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/matzo" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">matzo</a>; <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/seder-Passover-meal" data-show-preview="true" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">seder</a>.</p><!--[P2]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><!--[AM2]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span><a href="/topic/Jewish-religious-year/Pilgrim-festivals#ref117175" style="color: rgb(65, 110, 210); max-width: 100%; text-decoration: underline;">
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</a><!--[MOD2]--><span style="max-width: 100%;"></span></div></div></div><br><br><div dir="ltr">Reverend Dr. Carolyn Peters, National Federation Of The Blind, Ohio, affiliate, vice president, Ohio Communities Of Faith division, president, Miami Valley Chapter, Dayton, Ohio president. 1-937-657-5134,<div><br></div><div>Dr.carolyn.peters@gmail.com☺️👏🙏🤲</div></div></body></html>