Jewish Passover (Pesach) in 2023: the history and traditions of the holiday

When is Pesach celebrated in 2023?

Pesach begins to be celebrated on the 14th day of the spring month of Nisan. This is the first month of the biblical year in the Hebrew calendar, corresponding approximately to March-April in the Gregorian reckoning. The celebration lasts 7 days in Israel (with the first and last days being official days off), and in other countries where diasporas live, it increases by another day. 

In 2023, public holidays fall between evenings 5 April (Wednesday) until night 13 April (Thursday).

The essence of the holiday: how Pesach differs from Easter 

Let’s start with the name. “Pesach” is translated from Hebrew as “passed.” This refers to the episode described in the Bible during the tenth Egyptian plague. For the fact that the pharaoh refused to release the Jews from slavery, terrible punishments fell upon him and all the inhabitants of his country. The last of these was the death of the firstborn in each family. But this punishment did not touch the Jews, the misfortune did not affect their homes – that is, God “passed by.” 

Let’s start with the name. “Pesach” is translated from Hebrew as “passed.” This refers to the episode described in the Bible during the tenth Egyptian plague. For the fact that the pharaoh refused to release the Jews from slavery, terrible punishments fell upon him and all the inhabitants of his country. The last of these was the death of the firstborn in each family. But this punishment did not touch the Jews, the misfortune did not affect their homes – that is, God “passed by.” 

Horrified by what happened to the firstborn (and even his own son did not escape death), the pharaoh nevertheless decided to let the Jews go. Actually, this event is celebrated on Pesach – the Exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery. It is clear that with the Christian Easter, which means the resurrection of the Savior from the dead, there is quite a bit in common. However, some parallels can still be traced. For example, the date of Nisan 14 is according to the New Testament, on this day the Last Supper took place, the last meeting of Christ with the disciples before the execution. In the Gospel description of the Last Supper there is also a direct reference to the Old Testament – Jesus on it likens himself to the Paschal lamb, which, according to legend, was sacrificed by the Jews during the flight from Egypt. 

How Pesach is Celebrated: Seder and “Feast Weekdays”

As for the actual celebration, everything is very strictly regulated here. On the very evening of Nisan 14, the whole family, after waiting for the sunset, gathers for dinner (seder). They also invite the poor and those acquaintances who, for some reason, cannot spend the holiday with their relatives. On the table is a special meal that is prepared for Pesach. Firstly, of course, matzah is unleavened bread, they are eaten several times during the meal. Bitter greens (maror) symbolize the bitterness of Egyptian slavery, and charoset (a mixture of grated apples, nuts and dates) is the clay from which the Jews made bricks in this slavery. Of course, they serve – mainly in the second part of the dinner – and the usual Jewish holiday dishes, such as stuffed fish. At the same time, not all food is eaten at the Seder – some dishes have an exclusively symbolic meaning. For example, zroa (a fried piece of lamb with a bone) is meant to commemorate the sacrifice in the temple of Jerusalem. 

The dinner itself takes place in several stages, and during it four glasses of wine are drunk (for children, alcohol is replaced with grape juice) – according to the number of promises made by God to the chosen people. The fifth glass is poured, but left untouched – it is intended for the prophet Eliyah. 

During the seder, prayers and blessings are also read, this is a very important component of the evening. And at the end of the festive meal, a small piece of matzah (afikoman) is eaten, which adults hide from children, and they must find it. 

The Seder is followed by five so-called “weekdays of the holiday”, and Pesach ends with a day off, on which the “ceremony of the separation of sea waters” is held. According to the Old Testament, the pharaoh, who first released the Jews from Egypt, later nevertheless rushed after them. But the waters of the Red Sea parted before the fugitives, and before their pursuers closed back and swallowed up the Egyptian army. In memory of this, they read the corresponding passage from the holy book of Judaism, the Torah. 

Pesach prohibitions: why you can’t eat yeast bread 

One of the main rules of Pesach is the ban on foods prepared using sourdough or fermentation. First of all, it is bread, but beer and other spirits based on malt, etc., are also not allowed. Leavened (chametz) is strictly forbidden not only to eat, but also to keep at home during the holidays, therefore, on the eve of Nisan 14, all this is burned or symbolically sold to non-Jews. Then they do a thorough cleaning – not a crumb of chametz should remain in the dwelling. Even the dishes that are put on the table at the Seder are tried to be used new. 

Such a severe restriction was again established in memory of the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. In an effort to leave the country where they were slaves as soon as possible, the Jews could not even wait until the bread dough was completely ripe. Therefore, all the time in the desert they had to eat unleavened matzah.

On the first and last day of Pesach, any work is also prohibited.

Recipe recipe 

Matzo is a thin, unleavened flatbread made from the flour of one of the five grains: wheat, rye, barley, oats, and spelt. The process of preparing this Passover symbol is described in detail. For example, from the moment water is added to the flour until the end of baking, no more than 18 minutes should elapse – it is believed that the fermentation process already begins, and this is unacceptable. But the shape does not matter – matzah can be both round and square, the difference is that the first is more typical for home-made cakes, and right angles are obtained during production in factory conditions. 

By the way, the machine for making matzah appeared in 1838, but at first it was not accepted very favorably. However, later it became clear that the technique would help speed up the process of making unleavened bread (which is important, given the likelihood of fermentation), and it began to be used everywhere. 

Today, more than XNUMX boxes of matzah are sold every year in Our Country alone.