Happy Passover

Pesach is one of the most popular Jewish holidays. First of the three major festivals of Jews, it has both historical & agricultural significance. Pesach marks the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. However, the primary reason cited for its observance is related to the Exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt after generations of slavery. 'Pesach' in Hebrew means 'Passing over' referring to the fact that God 'passed over' the houses of the Jews while afflicting the Egypt with the tenth plague. Hence the name of the festival is 'Pesach' or 'Passover'. Christians also celebrate 'Passover' on the Jesus was sacrificed with a view that 'Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God that delivered all mankind from the slavery of sins.



 
The name 'Pesach' is also said to have been picked up from the fact that it was the name of the sacrificial lamb that was made in the Temple on this holiday before Exodus. Other names for this holiday are 'Chag he-Aviv', which means 'the Spring Festival', 'Chag ha-Matzoth', which means 'the Festival of Matzahs' and 'Z'man Cherutenu', which means 'the Time of Our Freedom'. The holiday is observed for eight days and Seder is observed on its first two nights. The Fast of the Firstborn is observed on the day before Pesach, which is a minor fast for all firstborn males to commemorate the fact that firstborns of Israelites were saved during the slaying in Egypt. Passover is a time for family gatherings and happiness for Jews as it signifies that they are finally free and are their own masters.

Passover 2018 Date: Passover 2018 begins in the evening of Friday, 30 March and ends in the evening of Saturday, April 7