What is Passover? What to know about the Jewish holiday

It's time to dig deep into the cabinet find your Seder plates and prepare to answer The Four Questions again.

Passover, one of the most celebrated Jewish holidays, is on the horizon. It commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt as told in the Bible.

When is Passover in 2024?

Passover begins before sundown on April 22 and ends after nightfall on April 30.

What is Passover?

According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan and commemorates the departure from Egypt after 44 years of slavery, as told in the biblical Book of Exodus. The term Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, refers to the fact that God passed over the houses of the Jews when he was slaying the firstborn of Egypt during the last of the 10 plagues.

Passover lasts for seven days. On the first and last days of Passover, work is not permitted.

How is Passover celebrated? 

On the first night of Passover, Jews commanded to have a special family meal filled with ritual to remind us of the significance of the holiday, according to Jewish Virtual Library.

Seders involve moving through a book called a Haggadah, which contains stories, prayers, poetry and other teachings. It is based on God's instructions in Exodus 10, "That you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt and my signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord."

Children are encouraged to take an active role during the Passover Seder, including recitation of The Four Questions.

What are The Four Questions children ask during the Seder?

Passover is also celebrated by explaining the history of Israel to children. During the Seder meal, children are told why this night is different than others and ask The Four Questions, according to ReformJudaism.org:

• On all other nights, we eat chametz (leavened foods) and matzah. Why on this night, only matzah?
• On all other nights, we eat all vegetables. Why, on this night, maror (bitter herbs)?
• On all other nights, we don't dip even once. Why on this night do we dip twice?
• On all other nights, we eat either sitting upright or reclining. Why on this night do we all recline?

Each question is answered to educate about the history of the holiday.

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What is the most important food during Passover?

The most important food during Passover is “matzah,” or unleavened bread. The symbolic meaning of the bread is that the Israelites didn't have time to let the bread rise before leaving Egypt so had unleavened bread.

The Seder plate includes:

• Maror — a combination of bitter herbs, eaten to memorialize the bitterness Israelites felt while they were slaves in Egypt.
• Chazeret: The second bitter herb, most often romaine lettuce, but people also use the leafy greens of a horseradish or carrot plant. The symbolism is the same as that of Maror.
• Roasted egg: represents spring and the circle of life
• Roasted lamb shank bone: The meat represents the Pesach sacrifice
• Charoset: A mixture of wine, nuts and apples is used to represent to mortar used by Israelites in Egypt.
• Karpas: Greens to represent spring

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What is the afikomen?

The afikomen is also part of many seders. There are three pieces of matzo on the Seder table. One piece is broken in half and set aside as the afikomen. It's the last thing eaten at the meal.

In some families, the afikomen is hidden. Sometimes parents hide the piece of matzo, and children search for it. But in other families, children are in charge of hiding the afikomen while parents have to look.

Should I wish someone a 'Happy Passover' or other greetings?

“Happy Passover” is an appropriate sentiment to say to someone celebrating the holiday. In addition, you can say “chag sameach,” which means happy holiday in Hebrew, or chag kasher v’semeach, which means have a happy and kosher Passover.

Cameron Goodnight, Marina Pitofsky, Charita M. Goshay and C. A. Bridges contributed to this story.