Easter Parades, Passover and Seder: how does this affect me as a traveller, shopper, souvenir hunter and gourmet?

Problem
First - when is Easter?
Second - when is Passover?

Answers
YOUR DIARY

Most diaries list this year's Christian and Jewish and other holidays as well as next year's. No need to thumb through the pages of your diary looking for the dates of Easter and other holidays in tiny print. You probably have a list of Religious Festivals at the front of your diary. (If you don't have dates in this year's diary, last year's diary has this year's dates.)

Five-year diaries don't have dates of festivals. Cut out the religious date pages from last year's diary and tape them into your five-year diary.

EASTER 2018
Christian Western
2018 Good Friday, March 30, 2018, then Easter Day Sunday April 1st, 2018, followed by Bank holiday on Easter Monday, April 2 2018, making a long weekend.

Eastern Orthodox - Easter Day April 8th, 2018

Jewish Passover, 1st day, Saturday March 31
(Some people will have a second seder night outside Israel to be sure they are always celebrating on the same day as they would if they were in Israel. The second seder is often at the home of the mother or daughter or sister or sister-in-law of the first day's hostess, to share the work, and using up any leftover food from the first day on the second day.) If you are visiting or entertaining Jewish people during the festival.

The Discovery Channel did a programme on the origin of the story in the bible and set various detectives on discovering possible origins of the story of the ten plagues which caused the Pharaoh to think God was punishing him and that he had to let Moses and the Children of Israel depart across the Dead Sea or Red Sea (various mis-spellings - too long to explain) to the Promised land.

One set of modern detective findings was that the smiting of the firstborn could have been the same as the origin of the St Vitus' Dance in the USA and Europe, symptoms caused by poisoning by mouldy infected grains stored in a very wet storage house. Hence the custom of throwing out last year's crop before harvesting the spring crop of grain - leading to matzoh made from unleavened bread or cracker, and pancakes using up the last of the stored grain made into flour, on pancake day.

Another story you are likely to hear is that the group left Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to allow the bread to rise.

It's possible, and it the most likely theory which I have heard.

Why should you care about all of this?
HISTORY -
very interesting for history buffs.
CRIME SCENES -
very interesting for archaeologists and detectives.
RELIGIONS -
seeing how religions relate and develope.
ART -
the last supper, showing Jesus and the disciples around the table with wine and bread would have been a Passover meal.
TRAVEL -
with two festivals coinciding, flights are likely to be booked up in countries celebrating either Easter or Passover or both, and airlines travelling to, from or through those countries on those dates.
HOTELS -
hotels are also likely to be booked up by holidaymakers, both the religious ones holding celebrations or going to particular countries, and secular families and families of other religions simply booking travel during school and work holidays.
CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES
Religious - Passion plays: Oberammergau in Bavaria in Germany, in 2020, booking now.
Secular - Easter Parades.
Israel and worldwide - a chance to be invited to a family Seder night.
Jewish Orthodox hotels will have big events.
Families of mixed marriages might like to go to communal seder night held at liberal synagogues.

SHOPPING
Easter goods:
UK and European shops and supermarkets will be stocking chocolate eggs, flowers, Easter greeting cards.
Some cities will have Easter parades.
Fifth Avenue, New York. Bring your camera and your bonnet or hat.

Passover goods:
Supermarkets and shops will be stocking:
Kosher for passover wines, matzos and foods.

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2019
Christian Western
Good Friday April 19, 2019
Easter Day April 21, 2019

Christian - Eastern Orthodox April 28, 2019

Jewish Passover 1st day April 20, 2019

Useful Websites
To send a greeting card:
123
http://www.123greetings.com/events/passover/thank_you/
Jacquie Lawson cards
https://www.jacquielawson.com/card/feast-of-freedom/h-0/3352802

Gifts For Your Family Or Your Host's Family
Amazon has loads of stuff including books which you can look inside:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Passover-Coffee-Quotes-Jennise-Conley/dp/0615787053/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522077264&sr=8-2&keywords=passover+gifts&dpID=51fLcUJbMFL&preST=_SX218_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
http://store.chabad.org/catalog.asp?dept=2001
Chabad have a questions page, Seder gifts, and all sorts of suprising and amusing things including a  7 branch candelstick holder with each candle held by a different cat.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
I have many other posts on religious and secular holidays around teh world, Israel, Chinese New years, educational, enlightening and amusing. Please share links to your favourite pages. You can also contact me with your questions and comments through Facebook.