<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">
<!-- This node will contain a number of div.page. -->
<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;">
<div style="max-width: 100%;">
<p style="max-width: 100%;">More From Britannica</p>
<p style="max-width: 100%;">Jewish religious year: Pilgrim festivals</p>
</div>
</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☺ï¸ðŸ‘ðŸ™ðŸ¤²</div></div></body></html>