Passover 2023 starts tonight. What is it and how is it celebrated?

Passover 2023 starts at sundown tonight, and many in Florida and around the world will celebrate by holding a seder, a ritual meal to celebrate the holiday.

Passover, or Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday during the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, usually falling in March or April. The holiday is observed with seders among families, friends and communities, as well as other sacred traditions.

Passover “is one of the most widely celebrated of Jewish holidays,” Aaron Kaufman, executive director of Penn State Hillel, explained to USA TODAY. “It commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt as told in the Bible.”

But what is Passover? Should you wish a Jewish friend or coworker a happy Passover? Here’s what you need to know.

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When is Passover 2023?

Jewish communities will begin celebrating Passover at Sundown on Wednesday, April 5. The holiday will run over the next seven days, ending on April 13. Many communities will hold seders during the first two nights, which is a ritual feast that includes telling the story of Passover, drinking wine, eating symbolic food and celebrating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

What is Passover?

Temple Beth El in Pensacola describes Passover as a major Jewish spring festival that commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt over 3,000 years ago.

Their website goes on to say “the ritual observance of this holiday centers around a special home service called the seder (meaning “order”) and a festive meal; the prohibition of chametz (leaven); and the eating of matzah (an unleavened bread).”

“On the eve of the fifteenth day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, we read from a book called the hagaddah, meaning “telling,” which contains the order of prayers, rituals, readings and songs for the Pesach seder. The Pesach seder is the only ritual meal in the Jewish calendar year for which such an order is prescribed, hence its name.”

What is the Passover story?

The story of Passover is rooted in the biblical story of Exodus where the Israelites are freed from slavery in Egypt.

The story begins when the Pharaoh, afraid that the number of Jewish people in Egypt would soon outnumber Egyptians, began forcing them into slavery and ordered every son born to Hebrews be drowned in the Nile River.

The story continues with Moses, who demands his people be freed or Egypt would suffer from 10 plagues. In the last plague, God kills the first born of every household in Egypt — except for Jewish households, who were warned to smear the blood of a lamb on their doorways so God would pass over them.

How is Passover celebrated?

The eight-day celebration is typically kicked off with a seder. Seders are a combination of service and dinner where families will gather to eat certain foods and read through a book called a Haggadah, which contains stories, prayers, poetry and other teachings.

Some families will put out a special seder plate, which will hold symbollic foods, like maror, a bitter herb that is meant to represent the bitterness of slavery.

One element of seders is the recitation of the “four questions,” which are about how this night is different than all other nights. But different families or communities will use different Haggadahs during Passover that implement a personal touch.

Passover isn’t just a time for Jewish communities to reflect on their own struggles and hardships, however. It is meant to take the time and reflect on any peoples who struggle from oppression.

Passover 2023: When is Passover? What to know about 2023 dates, meaning of the Four Questions, more.

What food are eaten (or not eaten) during Passover?

While Passover is a celebration that centers around feasts and celebrations, dietary restrictions are still followed — especially among more traditional followers. Leavened bread, or chametz, is restricted. This usually includes foods prepared from wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye that has come in contact with water and has “risen.” Some communities also count foods such as rice, millet, corn, legumes and similar foods as chametz.

So, what substitutes are considered kosher for Passover? Foods that incorporate almond flour, potatoes, baking soda and powder, tapioka and tree nuts.

How do you greet someone during Passover?

Saying “happy passover” is perfectly fine. For a more traditional greeting in Hebrew, try saying “chag Pesach kasher vesame’ach” (pronounced CHAG PEH-sach kah-SHER ve-sah-MAY-ach), which wishes someone a “kosher and joyous Passover.”

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Passover 2023: When is Passover? What is a Passover greeting?