When do Jews celebrate Passover? Jewish Passover Traditions

Holidays in Israel in 2016. Jewish holidays in 2016

The Jewish holiday Pesach is celebrated every year at the same time - Nisan 14 (the name of the month), and is calculated using the lunar calendar. In Israel, a similar holiday is celebrated for 7 days, and in other countries of the world - 8. According to the generally accepted calendar, it is difficult to calculate the next date for the celebration of Pesach, since it changes every time. It is noteworthy that such a holiday has a rather interesting history, as well as unusual traditions of celebration.

history of the holiday

Few people know that the name of the great holiday Passover comes from the Hebrew word "Pesach". Literally translated, it means “to pass”, “to pass” or “to leave”. Detailed information about the appearance of such a holiday is presented in the Torah.

The Jews, who were in Egyptian slavery for a long time, were forced to endure the most cruel living conditions, as well as the neglectful, derogatory attitude of the Egyptians. At some point, their life became simply unbearable. Then the Jews began to earnestly pray to God for deliverance from slavery and the granting of freedom. Their prayers were heard, and the Lord instructed Moses to lead all the enslaved Jewish people out of Egypt. Having received the support of heaven, Moses went to the pharaoh to ask for the granting of freedom to the Jews, but in response he heard only ridicule and refusal. For this, God punished Pharaoh and all of Egypt with 10 terrible punishments, the worst of which was the destruction of Egyptian babies. In one night, all the first-born of the Egyptian people were killed, and the Jewish children remained unharmed. This happened because an angel of God ordered them to anoint the doorposts with the blood of the sacrificed lambs. This was the last straw of the patience of the Egyptians, who convinced the pharaoh to let the Jews go. Therefore, the Jewish people annually celebrate Pesach - the holiday of saving babies from death in Egypt, as well as the day of the exit from many years of Egyptian slavery.

Thus, the Jews celebrate Passover on Nisan 14, when the Egyptian babies were destroyed, and the holiday itself lasts for 7 days. However, non-working and especially big holidays are considered to be the 1st and 7th days of the celebration, and all the rest are "semi-working" or intermediate. However, the holidays for children last all 7 days, so in 2016 they will be able to relax for 3 weeks.

How to prepare for Passover?

Pesach, celebrated by Jews, is in many ways reminiscent of the Russian New Year. It is filled with deep meaning, celebrated in the family circle, and also acts as a celebration for which the Jewish people prepare in advance. Israelis begin to prepare for Passover immediately after the celebration of Purim.

The first stage of preparation is general cleaning. But it's not just about fighting dust, but also dirt on floors and other surfaces. Jews begin to hastily get rid of leavened food, as well as spices, sauces, alcoholic beverages and other prohibited foods. Some Jews try to consume all prohibited foods before Passover, while others decide to hide alcohol and food from non-Jewish acquaintances. In this case, a sale or a kind of “renting out products” may operate, but no one can guarantee the integrity of the dishes transferred to non-Jews.

There is another funny tradition involving the burning of leavened and forbidden foods. If a Jew gave his food to another non-Jew, or consumed it before the start of the holiday, there is no need to worry about burning it. However, on the first day of Pesach, families begin to carefully inspect their homes for the presence of such foods, and if any, they are subject to ritual burning.

On the evening of the first day of Pesach, families gather to read the Torah, or rather, the section that tells about the deliverance of the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery. Often such meetings are held with a large number of people, among whom children must be present. It is believed that the story of the miraculous exit of the Jews from Egypt should be heard by as many people as possible. Also, the celebration of Pesach provides for the transfer of invaluable knowledge to children so that the history of the Jewish people is not forgotten.

Passover is unusual, so its preparation is taken extraordinarily seriously. The hostesses take out specially hidden Easter dishes, consisting of a large dish and several small ones. On a large dish are certain traditional products intended for alternate use. At the festive meal, everyone present must drink 4 glasses of grape juice or wine, eat matzo and taste special bitter plants (maror). The end of the festive meal is a little fun. At the beginning of the supper, the head of the family tears matzah according to the number of those present at the table. These pieces are the necessary completion of the festive meal. Children try to steal a few of these pieces unnoticed in order to get a small reward. Adults cannot refuse children, because it is necessary to return the ritual pieces of matzah. Therefore, in the process of celebration, everyone has the opportunity to have fun from the heart.

The last day of Pesach is also considered a holiday and is dedicated to the Jews crossing the Red Sea. On this day, such events are remembered, and the power of faith and prayer addressed to God is also revered. Thus, Pesach is an excellent and rather cheerful holiday dedicated to the freedom of the Jewish people and many miracles revealed by God many centuries ago.

It is important that these two church holidays be celebrated on different days, and this has long been established by the rules of the churches. I would like to note that among the Jews this holiday has a slightly different name, if the Orthodox and Catholic people have a great holiday, then among the Jews this day is called "Pesach". In addition, the holiday has a completely different meaning, if the Orthodox people Easter tells the story of the resurrection of Jesus and the deliverance of people from sins, then the Jews celebrate Pesach, since in the thirteenth century BC on this day the people of the Jews were freed from the slavery of the peoples of Egypt .

In the middle of the month, a terrible act took place, because on the fourteenth day of the month all the babies were killed in Egypt, but only the houses of the Jewish peoples were pardoned and the babies of the Jewish people received mercy. As scriptures say, the doors of the Jewish peoples, where there were little children, were marked with a cow's young lamb. It was after such a terrible and cruel execution of newborn babies that a man named Maises decided to withdraw the Jewish people from the Egyptian country. That is why a holiday was created in honor of the salvation of the Jewish peoples, and on this day people celebrate that all babies survived the terrible night of execution. If we translate the name of the Jewish holiday "Pesach" into Russian, then it will be possible to get the meaning "pass by or just pass by", this is how the appearance of the holiday can be explained, because the trouble really bypassed the babies of this people. At the same time, the holiday itself has a different number of days for celebration, for example, you can compare how many people who live in Israel celebrate and how many days the holiday lasts outside this country. So, Jewish Passover in 2016 on what date will begin on the twenty-second day in the month of April, and in Israel the celebration will last exactly one week, but outside the country, Jews celebrate this holy holiday one day more. That is, if the celebration begins on the twenty-second of April, then Passover ends on the thirtieth day of the month of April. And the celebration of this great day begins only after the sun is completely hidden behind the horizon.

Before the day of the holiday in Jewish families, the housewives are obliged to collect all flour products and all products that contain bread or yeast, all this is burned on the street at the stake. But for all seven Easter holidays, people completely exclude bread products from their diet that use yeast and any products that have been sourdough. Without any doubt, wine is excluded from the diet of Jews, since its preparation requires fermentation, which means that it is forbidden to use wine for food. Before the start of the holiday, people collect all the flour in their home, it is necessary in order to distribute this product to poor people after the morning service, special cakes will be baked from the same flour, which should contain nothing but water, salt and flour, it is strictly forbidden to use yeast in such a test. After all, it was this kind of bread that was the only food for those Jews who were able to escape with Moses from Egypt. The first day of the holiday should come in celebration, housewives do not have the right to clean or cook food, then you can cook simple food or do a little cleaning in the house. The last day of the holiday is also dedicated to fun feasts and festivities.

On the first and last day of Easter, people go to church services and praise their God. If someone does not know when the Jewish Passover is in 2016, what date, then it is worth checking with the priest in the church. The Jews have several prayers that they memorize in order to read precisely on the days of the celebration of Easter, while the services themselves take place not only during the daytime of the year, but also at night. Not many people know that according to the tradition of Jewish families, everyone gathers at the same table and begins to say a prayer for sacrifice. After sunset, the whole family sits down at Olin's table, on which a wide variety of dishes should stand, the family eats all this and at the same time interrupts the meal to say a special prayer, this prayer tells how Moses helped the Jewish people to escape from Egypt.

Bread on the table is necessarily replaced with yeast-free dough cakes, high-quality wine, a hard-boiled chicken egg and chicken wings (it is this part of the feast that will become a sacrifice). Salt water is poured into a large bowl and any bitter herb is placed in the middle, celery will do.

The Jewish Passover, also called Pesach, is one of the most important holidays in Judaism. This day celebrates an event that took place more than 3,000 years ago, and which is described in the Holy Scriptures: the liberation of the Jews from Egyptian slavery. When is Jewish Passover in 2016, what date will it be celebrated?

Passover is celebrated on the first full moon after the spring equinox, that is, in March or April. According to our usual Gregorian calendar, Pesach falls on different days:

• in 2015 - April 4-11;
• in 2016 - April 23-30;
• in 2017 -11-18 April.

But according to the Jewish calendar, the celebration always begins on the same day: the 14th day of the month of Nisan.

In Israel, Pesach is celebrated for seven days, with the first and seventh days being observed as full days of rest, and work is allowed on the intermediate five. Outside of Israel, the holiday lasts eight days, of which the first and last two are considered days of rest.

The name of the Jewish Passover comes from the verb "passover" - that is, "passed by" and means that the last, tenth plague of Egypt passed the houses of the Jews.

Refusal of bread

According to legend, the Jews left Egypt in such a hurry that their bread did not have time to rise. This is why it is customary to eat only matzah during Passover: unleavened bread that takes less than 18 minutes to prepare. Any flour products that take longer to cook are considered leavened (“chametz”) and unsuitable for Passover. These include bread, cakes, cookies, cereals, pasta, and many of the alcoholic beverages.

Chametz on the days of the holiday is strictly forbidden not only to eat, but also to give to pets, and simply keep in the house. Therefore, the day before, a general cleaning of the entire dwelling is arranged. Cabinets, a refrigerator and an oven are cleaned and washed - everything that has been in contact with chametz. On the night of the 14th day of the month of Nisan, household members walk around the house with candles or lanterns and check for the last time if they have any leftovers.

According to custom, chametz is thrown away or burned. There is also a more pragmatic way to get rid of products: they can be temporarily sold to a person of a different faith during Passover, and then bought back. All forbidden food, by mistake or for any other reason, left at the time of Passover in the house is considered unclean and unfit for use.

Seder

Pesach is celebrated in the evening, gathering with family and close friends. Passover culminates on the first night or two when friends and families come together for a traditional set of activities called the Seder.

Seder is translated as “order”, so the festive dishes are arranged in a certain order. Often, plates and cutlery are used, which are kept in the house especially for this occasion. At the table, they read the Passover Haggadah - a book that tells how the Jews left the land of Egypt. As the story progresses, each person present re-experiences the experience of his people, imagining that he himself emerged from slavery.

• Three (in some communities - two) plates of matzah.
• Zroa - fried chicken wing or bone with meat as a reminder of the Passover sacrifice.
• Karpas - an onion or a potato, symbolizing life. Pieces of it are dipped in salt water, implying that life without redemption is washed with tears.
• Beytsa - hard boiled egg.
• Bitter herbs (maror) - this can be grated horseradish (hazaret), leaf lettuce or chicory.
• Charoset is a mixture of chopped apples, nuts and wine.
• Four cups of wine associated with the stages of liberation from Egyptian slavery. The fifth cup is poured, but not drunk - this is the cup of the prophet Elijah, who will someday reappear to announce the coming of the Messiah.

Breaking matzah

On the festive table on the first day of Passover, there are always three (sometimes two) plates of matzah. The leader of the seder takes the middle one and breaks it into two unequal parts. The big one is often wrapped in cloth and hidden: the children have to find it. She is called "Afikoman", which in Greek means "to appear later."

Four questions

Jewish Passover, as it is also called, is a family holiday that unites generations. The elders explain to the children its meanings and symbolism. Tradition prescribes four questions that children must ask: why is this night special, what is the reason for the ban on leavened bread, why is the greens on the table bitter, and why should one sit at the table, leaning on his elbows.

Adults answer that matzah symbolizes the hastily cooked bread that their ancestors took with them when they left Egypt. Bitter herbs remind of the bitterness of slavery, and salty water - of shed tears and the sea that parted before Moses. And the opportunity to sit comfortably at the table reminds of the time when only free people could enjoy comfort, and that thanks to the mercy of the Almighty and their own stamina, the Jews gained freedom.

The Jewish Passover 2016, as in all other years and times, has always meant and symbolized the day of the resurrection of the Savior, who, at the cost of his life, by self-sacrifice, roasted faith and eternal hope for salvation for every person on the globe and throughout the world. It is this day, according to all church canons and rules, that is considered the most important and great holiday among all existing ones. Among Catholics, Easter is also commonly called the "feast of holidays." Ask why? Everything is simple, since this sacrifice of Christ for the sake of humanity is the fundamental postulate of Christianity, on which all religion and faith are based.

When is Easter celebrated this year?

The date of celebration of this bright and great holiday, according to the Gregorian calendar, falls on March 27, but the Orthodox on May 1, and the Catholic on April 5. In other words, each Easter, faith, has its own day of celebration. Although, there have been cases when Orthodox and Catholic Easter coincided, and in the entire history of such coincidences, there are a small number. For example, several of them were relatively recent, in 2011 and 2014, and according to forecasts and calculations, such a coincidence should be expected in 2017. Remember that it is in those years when such a rare coincidence occurs that the holiday is usually called by a completely different name - Kiriopaskha, that is, Easter of the Lord. It is worth noting that not every Orthodox and Catholic knows about this feature.

How is it customary to celebrate and celebrate the Jewish Passover?

As elsewhere, each faith, despite the fact that there is much in common and similar, still has its own characteristics and traditions.

• Firstly, in all Catholic churches, the process of lighting and blessing fire and water takes place early on Saturday morning. The rite of carving fire is a truly unique, bewitching and reverent spectacle. As a rule, fire is carved and mined using a special flint, after which they illuminate the Easter candle and water. It is this fire that is considered the safest and is the keeper of the family hearth, which is why everyone tries to bring a piece of it to their home. According to beliefs, this fire is able to protect the walls of the house and its household for a whole year from evil enemies and evil spirits, since its wax is endowed with magical protective properties.
• Secondly, it is water, which also becomes magical and miraculous. That is why they try to store water all year round and use it only in the most urgent and extreme cases when help is needed. It is customary to wash newborns and small children with this water, drink it when you are sick, add it to food, and illuminate dwellings.
• Thirdly, a special decoration for the Easter holiday table. As a rule, Sunday breakfast after the service is usually celebrated with the whole family, congratulating each other and wishing a lot of happiness and health. As for decoration, flowers, candles, Easter baskets, as well as specially baked bread, baked meat and, of course, eggs, which are the invariable symbol of Easter, must be present on the table.

History of the Jewish Passover.

As for the history of the origin and appearance of the Jewish Passover, in order to understand and understand the full meaning and significance of this great holiday, it is necessary, first of all, to turn and return to the very origins and roots. After all, it was precisely in those Old Testament times, when there was not even such a nation as the Jews. In those days, there lived in the world one righteous man, whose name was Abraham, along with his wife Sarah and son Isaac, who later had a son named Jacob. Ask why all this? After all, it was Jacob who became the father of 12 sons, one of whom was named Joseph. It was his brothers who from birth did not love and constantly spread rot, and then sold into slavery in Egypt, where he succeeded and was respected and honored by the ruler of that time. Over time, famine began in many countries, and Jacob, along with his sons, was forced to wander the world in order to survive. Joseph tried to help his family in any way he could, even despite all the evil that they brought him. But over time, when the ruler changed, the attitude towards the Israelis changed, they began to be humiliated and turned into slaves. But the Lord sent Moses to help them, who helped people get out of terrible captivity and slavery. Although many difficulties and trials awaited them ahead, which Moses helped to cope with, following the advice and instructions of Christ.

After the Jews finally left captivity, and the state of Israel, new to the world, was formed, and Easter began to be celebrated annually in honor of this liberation and salvation.