Passover -
Festival time celebrating the Angel of Death passing over the houses of the Hebrew slave class who were building the pyramids (according to the Bible or Old Testament, which many will know from MGM movies). The Hebrews were spared from the deaths which struck the firstborn sons of the homes of the Egyptian overlords.
Discovery Channel called in forensics experts and concluded that deaths were from contaminated cereals. The result was that rulers introduced using up old crops before the new harvest, hence Spring Cleaning, giving up foods for Lent, and cleaning the house for Passover, banning bread with raising agents, eating only dry crackers called matzoh, even using a special new set or crockery if you are religious during the festival of passover.
Seder Night
Jews celebrate a Seder night. Seder means order. The tradition is to celebrate every holiday for two days so that despite world time differences, wherever you are, your celebration or observance coincides with Jerusalem and Israel.
So in many families one woman will hold the first night at her house. The second night is held at another, her younger sister or sister-in-law's house. The leftovers, or a second portion, will be taken from the first house to the second. It's a bit like some families in the UK where one family makes Christmas day lunch, and the next day they go to a friend or relative for Boxing Day.
For a Seder night you need to have bought or made the festival foods which are eaten in order. You use a book which tells the story of the Passover. (Americans might like to think of it as a forerunner of Thanksgiving). Jewish bookshops and online bookshops and gift shops sell plates and paper napkins.
The festival meal involves fun and games for children, who are given portions to read, are sent playing hunt the matzoh, and the ceremony ends with joyful singing of traditional songs.
The last words are 'Next year in Jerusalem'.
Just like Christmas Dinner, people who might be alone and not celebrating will be invited to a festive meal by the better off or bigger families. If you are travelling, you get a letter of introduction sent in advance if you are hoping to be invited to a Seder. For example, one year I went to Israel and was invited to a Seder night at the home of a relative of a friend.
Nowadays some Liberal synagogues organise a communal Seder. If you are not religious, or are a young mother in a mixed faith marriage, or have a small family, it is easier for mother and more fun to be in a large group where older people organise the food and a Rabbi leads you through the Haggadah which is the book. In the USA and Israel and probably other places you can go to a hotel. They will print their own Haggadah for that year, often in both Hebrew and English, with the name of the hotel or synagogue on the back.
The foods
Matzoh! Unleavened bread. Various stories account for this. The tradition is that the Hebrew Slaves were allowed to leave by Pharaoh. (Remember the song, 'Let my people go'.) But they left in such a hurry there was no time to let the bread rise, so they carried with them the dry flat crackers.
Finally, it is said that the "Last Supper" depicted in the famous paining of Jesus and his disciples, is a Seder meal. So if you go to a Seder, you are attending the most recent version of a festival going back hundreds of years.
Nowadays a Seder night in most of the English speaking world is a family occasion, like Christmas Day lunch, celebrated with women and children, unlike the men only Last Supper depicted in the painting centuries later.
If you are not religious but you are invited to partake in a Seder night, what can you expect. This is getting long so see my next post.
Travel At Passover and Easter
From a traveller's point of view, the downside is that flights will be full and hotels will be booked. The plus side is that you can enjoy booking a Seder night and seeing families and friends.
Angela Lansbury BA Hons, author, writes about travel, food and drink. See more of her and about her on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon.co.uk books and Lulu.com
