Passover is named for when God “passed over” the Jewish homes during the tenth and final plague.
Historically, the Jews went down to Egypt because there was a famine and Egypt had food reserves to sell. The Pharaoh there offered them land and protection. However, after some time the high status of the foreign people living in Egypt was forgotten and they became slaves to the Egyptians, who gave them back-breaking labor to do. When King Pharaoh refused to release the Jews after Moses asked him to, God punished him with ten plagues. The final plague was the death of the firstborn, during which Jewish families were spared. After that, Pharaoh released the Jews from Egypt and they were free. Now this story and this freedom is celebrated with the holiday of Passover.
Passover is named for when God “passed over” the Jewish homes during the tenth and final plague. Although the firstborn sons of all the Egyptian families died, the firstborn sons of the Jews did not. In addition to sparing Jewish lives, this “passing over” is important because the Jews were supposed to slaughter a sheep (which the Egyptians thought was a god) and to mark their doors with its blood so the angel of death would not touch them. From this came the tradition of sacrificing a sheep on Passover, although there is no Temple anymore and so the Jews no longer do sacrifices.
The holiday of Passover is celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight days everywhere else. During the entire holiday, Jews are not allowed to eat or even to own anything with leavening in it. They will eat it all before Passover, burn it, or sell it to a non-Jew. Instead, during Passover, the Jewish people all eat matzoh – or products made from matzoh – which is a special kind of unleavened bread. Matzoh has many meanings. It is the kind of food the Jews left with when they fled Egypt, since they did not have time to let their bread rise. It also symbolizes freedom, as well as reminding Jews of how much they suffered while living in Egypt. Thus, matzoh is a main food staple during Passover.
On Passover, Jewish people also eat a special ritual meal called a “seder.” In Israel, the Seder is on the first day of Passover and in all other parts of the world, it is held twice, on both the first and second days of Passover. During the meal, special foods, like matzoh, are eaten as the story of the exodus from Egypt is told in great detail. Most people at a Seder will use a special book called a Haggadah as a guide or script for the meal.
Passover is a very special holiday for the Jewish people. It celebrates the Jews’ redemption and their freedom, both their freedom from slavery and their freedom to practice their religion. It is a time to celebrate and thank God.