Passover is a Jewish holiday celebrating Jewish people's freedom from slavery in Egypt. This year, Passover is celebrated from Monday, April 22 to Tuesday, April 30. The date for Passover changes every year because it is not based on the traditional Gregorian calendar that we follow, but is based on the Hebrew lunar calendar.
The biblical Passover story is tied with the story of Moses, who was called by God to free the enslaved Jewish people from Egypt. When the pharaoh refused Moses’ request, God unleashed 10 Plagues upon the Egyptians, including a plague that killed the firstborn son of Egyptian families. The Jewish families were told to mark their door frames with lamb’s blood so that the plague would “pass over” them.
Passover celebrations begin with a seder, a special meal enjoyed with friends and family. Before the seder, it’s typical to do a bit of “spring cleaning” and fully clean the kitchen or the entire house. The seder meal is filled with symbolic foods, wine, prayer and song to tell the Passover story.
One of the most important aspects of the Passover celebration is eating unleavened bread, called matzo, throughout the week. The biblical tradition says that as the Jews fled Egypt, there was no time to wait for bread to rise, and unleavened bread was easier to carry.
Other traditional Passover foods include matzo ball soup, brisket, and macaroons.
You can learn more about Passover and check out Passover books from the YPL catalog.
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she is currently pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.