About Passover

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Happy Passover
חג פסח שמח

130 wishes · 2 languages · 1 photo design · Updated October 2026

About Passover

Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, remembers the Exodus: the story in the Torah of how the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt and led out by Moses. It begins on the 15th of Nisan, in March or April, and lasts seven days in Israel and eight days in most places outside it.

The festival opens with the seder, a meal at home where the family reads the Haggadah, tells the story, asks the four questions and eats symbolic foods: matzah, bitter herbs, charoset, a roasted bone and an egg on the seder plate, and four cups of wine or grape juice.

For the whole week no leavened bread is eaten, so homes are cleaned of chametz before the festival. Children hunt for the hidden afikoman, the door is opened for the prophet Elijah, and the seder ends with the hope: next year in Jerusalem.

Starts on 15 Nisan
Seven days in Israel, eight in many other places
Seder meal on the first night

Where it began

The Book of Exodus tells how Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. In a hurry to leave, they had no time to let their bread rise, which is why matzah is eaten.

The name Passover recalls the story that the homes of the Israelites were passed over during the last plague. The Torah asks each generation to retell the story to their children.

An old Hebrew manuscript page with a painted design — A page from an old illuminated Haggadah

How it grew over time

Biblical times
Passover is kept as a pilgrimage feast, with offerings at the Temple in Jerusalem.
After 70 CE
After the Temple is lost, the home Seder becomes the heart of the festival.
Medieval period
The Haggadah, the book read at the Seder, takes its familiar form and is often richly illustrated.
Today
Jewish families worldwide hold Seders, often inviting friends to join.

How it is celebrated in different places

Israel
The festival is a week of family trips, and shops change their goods to suit the holiday.
US and Canada
Large family Seders bring relatives together from far away.
Jewish communities in India
Bene Israel and Cochin Jewish families keep their own long held Seder customs.

Passover moments

A sheet of matzah spread with red jam — Matzah, the flat bread of the festival

A Seder plate with egg, bitter herbs, greens and an orange beside matzah — The Seder plate holds foods that tell the story

A blue patterned Seder plate with greens and matzah on the table — The Seder table set for the first night

A pot of matzah ball soup with carrots — Matzah ball soup, a much loved Passover dish

Passover today

Before the festival, homes are cleaned of leavened bread. At the Seder, families read the Haggadah, eat symbolic foods from the Seder plate, drink four cups of wine and sing, and children ask the four questions.

How people celebrate Passover

The seder meal and the Haggadah
Matzah instead of bread
Cleaning the home of chametz
The four questions
Hiding the afikoman
Opening the door for Elijah
Songs like Dayenu

How to wish well

Chag Pesach Sameach (happy Passover holiday) or simply Chag Sameach are the usual wishes. Pesach Kasher v'Sameach wishes a kosher and happy Passover.
Send wishes before sunset on the first evening; many observant Jews do not use phones on the first and last days.
Light jokes about matzah, cleaning and the afikoman are part of the fun; keep the story itself respectful.
If you are invited to a seder, a thank you message to the host the next day is warm and welcome.

Questions about Passover

When is Passover 2027?

Passover 2027 begins at sunset on 21 April 2027 with the first seder and ends at nightfall on 29 April 2027 outside Israel (28 April in Israel).

What do you say on Passover?

Chag Pesach Sameach or Chag Sameach, meaning happy holiday. Happy Passover is fine in English.

What is a seder?

The seder is the festive meal on the first night (and outside Israel also the second) where the family reads the Haggadah and tells the story of the Exodus.

Why do Jews eat matzah on Passover?

The Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that their bread had no time to rise. Matzah, flat unleavened bread, recalls that night.

How long is Passover?

Seven days in Israel and eight days in most Jewish communities outside Israel.

Is Passover related to Easter?

Yes, the Last Supper of Jesus was a Passover meal, and Easter usually falls near Passover, though the two are set by different calendars.