Here’s what you need to know:
Preparations for the Pesach are already under way
Jewish communities in Greater Manchester and across the world will be celebrating Passover over the next week.
This year, the Jewish festival starts on the evening of Saturday (April 12). The annual event marks the exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and lasts eight days in the UK.
Families and friends come together on the first night of the festival for the Seder – a ritual feast where foods symbolising the exodus story are consumed.
Many Jewish people living outside of Israel in the diaspora take part in a second Seder the following night too.
Those who observe the rules of the festival are prohibited from eating certain foods – predominantly bread – for an eight-day period.
Instead, unleavened bread called matza is eaten, while other foods containing certain grains can be made with substitute ingredients.
When is Passover 2025?
Passover typically takes place in March or April and often coincides with Easter.
The festival starts on the 15th day of Nissan in the Jewish calendar which means that the date in the Gregorian calendar changes every year.
This year, the festival begins on the evening of Satuday (April 12) and ends on the evening of Easter Sunday (April 20).
The first two nights involve a meal called the Seder – Hebrew for ‘order’.
Jewish people usually celebrate the festival by telling the exodus story at a Seder meal on the first night, and, outside of Israel, many Jews repeat the ceremonial meal on the second night too.
What happens at Passover?
Jewish people who celebrate Passover retell the story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt by reading from a book called a haggadah on both Seder nights.
The ritual feast features foods which each have symbolic meanings relating to the exodus story.
This includes matza – unleavened bread – which is typically eaten throughout the eight days because eating certain grains during the festival is forbidden.
Chametz – most foods made with wheat, barley, spelt, oats or rye – cannot be consumed during Passover and, according to some European customs, Jews must also refrain from eating kitniyot which includes beans, peas, lentils, rice and corn.
How do you wish someone a Happy Passover?
To wish someone a Happy Passover, you can simply say “Chag Sameach” which means “happy holiday” or “happy festival” in Hebrew or you could say “Chag Pesach Sameach” to specifically wish someone a Happy Passover.
Some people also say “chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach” which means “a kosher and happy Passover”, making reference to the dietary restrictions observed during the festival.
The “ch” in these words are pronounced as a strong H sound like in “Loch”.
Published: 2025-04-12 15:38:00 | Author: [email protected] (Joseph Timan) | Source: MEN – News
Link: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Tags: #Passover #starts #long #Happy #Passover
