Passover or Pesach or Hebrew Pesah is one of the most important celebrations in Judaism. The holiday commemorates the liberation of Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and it also refers to the 'passing over' of the firstborn Israelites and the departure of the forces on the eve of Exodus. The Festival is a remembrance of the struggle and sacrifice of the Hebrews to attain freedom. The festival has very unique traditions that we will take a look at here along with the date of Passover 2022 and the significance of the festival. Easter Sunday 2022 Date: Know the Traditions, History and Significance of Resurrection Sunday, Christian Festival and Cultural Holiday.
Date of Passover 2022
Passover is celebrated over a course of seven to eight days and starts on the 15th day and goes up to the 21st day of the month of Nisan. Passover will be celebrated from April, 16 to April, 23 in 2022.
Significance and History of Passover
Passover is a celebration of the great joy of liberation from slavery or the exodus of Hebrews in Egypt. The festival is celebrated with a lot of grandeur but does have some restrictions to it. The major events of this festival are Seder which is a festive meal that the family has on the first night or the night before the Passover. Over the course of the Passover week, people follow a lot of dietary restrictions like they can only have unleavened bread which is bread without yeast to pay homage to the suffering of the Hebrews in captivity before the exodus. Another major event is the reading of Haggadah, which is the book of the history of Exodus and related writings o the event. The festival is also celebrated on the same day as Easter.
The festival of Passover originated in the Torah where the word Pesach refers to the ancient sacrifice of Passover also known as the Paschal lamb. It is belied that God himself passed over the Hebrews and the people of Isreal before showering his wrath on the Egyptians during the 10th plague.
God saved the Jewish people from a catastrophic famine 400 years before the Passover by relocating them to Egypt, the only nation with food rations. Joseph, one of Israel's 12 sons who was sold as a slave by his brothers, had risen to second in command over Egypt owing to God's dominion. Because of Joseph, Pharaoh welcomed the Israelites into the land while they were facing starving. Pharaoh's successor, however, forced the Jews to live as slaves when Pharaoh died. They were enslaved until God used Moses as His instrument to deliver them at Passover 400 years later, to the day.
Celebrations of Passover
The Festival is celebrated by hosting a festive meal named Seder and by observing strict dietary restrictions by not costuming nay leavened products like bread or pasta but by consuming Matzah which is unleavened bread, they offered prayers and indulge in rigorous cleaning of the house and removing all leavened items from the house and it is known as Chametz. Special food items Maror (bitter herbs), charoset (Sweet paste made from the fruits) and Karpas (leafy vegetable) along with many more items are made.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 13, 2022 11:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).