Passover
The Jewish holiday of Passover celebrates the Exodus from Egypt and freedom from slavery. Celebrated for seven or eight days, depending on where you live, Passover requires all followers to abstain from eating leavened bread, known as chametz, for the entirity of the holiday. This is to symbolize the Hebrews' hurry to leave the land of their enslavement and their inability to wait for their bread to rise. The Torah demands for all Jews to observe this holiday to recognize the past enslavement and thank God for freedom. The holiday is also a celebration of Spring time and honors the bountiful harvest that comes with it.
This guide gives a basic rundown of the Passover holiday and all of the items necessary for the proper celebration. Chag Sameach! (That's happy holidays in Hebrew)
Matzah
So, if you can't eat anything leavened, then what can you eat? The first food that comes to mind when anyone thinks of Passover is usually
Matzah farfel is a broken up type of matzah that is used for stuffings and bakes.
Aside from the fact that there can be no yeast used in anything that is Kosher for Passover, there are many other guidelines, too. Legumes are out of commission for this holidayKosher for Passover establishment throughout the holiday in order to be absolutely certain that there is no chametz to be found.
The Seder
The Seder ceremony is also a huge part of the celebration of Passover. The word Seder means order in Hebrew, and an order is essentially what a Seder is. Usually led by the head of the household, the Seder is an order of readings and prayers spoken aloud and talked about for the sake of honoring the holiday. This order can be found in the appropriate prayer book, known as the
Kiddish cup left on the Seder table for the prophet Elijah.
Other Information
In Israel, the Jewish Homeland, Passover is celebrated for only seven days. In addition, Israelis and those residing in Israel for the Passover holiday are only required to have one Seder. Those everywhere else are required to have two ceremonies.
If you are not in Israel, at the end of each Seder it is traditional to announce, B'shanah Haba'a B'Yerushalayim or Next Year in Jerusalem. This is for the hope that next year, everyone will return to Israel, the Jewish homeland, and celebrate such a high holiday there.
Some Kosher for Passover Brands
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Manischewitz
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Osem
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My Kosher Market features many different brands organized by category.
