What is Passover, and How is it celebrated?
Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. In simple terms, it is the celebration of Hebrew slaves who were released by God from bondage in Egypt. Passover is a celebration of freedom observed by Jews everywhere.
In our family, we use this time to talk about how there are still many people who are still sold into slavery, forced laborers, and the history of slavery. We also talk about ways we can show compassion to others who are still not treated well, racism, and what we can do personally to fight against injustices.
Traditionally, most Jewish People choose to gather together for a celebration meal together that's called a Seder, and talk as a group about the story of Passover, rituals of the Jewish faith, and honor the ancestors who have gone before us to lay the foundations for our freedom.
In most families, there are special things that have been shared from generation to generation like special Seder plates that have spots for each of the special observed foods, games, and songs.
Passover also has certain dietary restrictions associated with it. The rules of “kosher for Passover” are different from standard kosher rules. In our family, we keep it Pescatarian – Only including fish in the meal and mostly vegetables.
The most important Passover rule is that leavened bread cannot be consumed. Instead, Jews eat unleavened bread called matzah. This is to represent the Hebrew slaves that fled Egypt so quickly that their bread didn't have time to rise.