Saturday is the first night of Passover and will last for eight days, ending on Sunday, May 1.

Passover (Pesach) is the eight-day observance commemorating the freedom and exodus of the Israelites, Jewish slaves, in the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. It’s also observed by some Christians to commemorate the deliverance from sin by the death of Jesus.

MHCC math instructor Michael McAfee, who is a Judeo-Christian, shared his thoughts on Passover. “The biggest meaning to me is that Jesus is the Passover lamb and by his death and resurrection there is forgiveness of sins,” he said.

The term Passover comes form the Bible, first mentioned in the Book of Exodus. As God told the Israelites enslaved in Egypt that he would free them, he said he would “smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.” However, he instructed the Israelites to put a sign of lamb’s blood on their door posts “and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12, King James Version).

The two main commandments associated with the holiday are: eating matzoh, or unleavened bread; and the prohibition of eating any foods containing leavening during the holiday. In ancient times (until today among the Samaritans) there was a third: the offering of a lamb in the evening on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and the eating that night of the Passover sacrifice. The commandments have since combined them into a special Passover feast called the Seder, celebrated on the first two evenings of the holiday (in Israel, only on the first evening). Other customs associated with Passover include eating bitter herbs and other foods specified for the Seder meal.

While many reasons are given for eating matzoh, the most popular tradition is that it recalls the bread the Israelites ate at the time of the Exodus: in their rush to leave Egypt, they did not have time for the bread to rise.

Before the holiday begins, observant Jews will remove and discard all food with leavening (called chametz) from their households, doing a thorough job, so that not even a crumb remains. This tradition is called bedikat chametz. Throughout the holiday, they will eat no leavened food, replacing breads, pastas, and cakes with matzoh and other specially prepared foods.

At the Seder three matzohs are used. During the Seder, the middle matzoh is broken in half. The smaller piece is returned to the set of matzohs while the larger piece is designated as the afikomen, or the dessert matzoh. Two distinct customs have arisen regarding the afikomen, both of which involve the afikomen being hidden as a means of keeping the children interested in the proceedings. In one custom, a child "steals" it and the parent has to find it. If the parent can't find it, the child is given a reward for the return of the afikomen. In the other custom, an adult hides the afikomen and the children look for it at the end of the meal. If the children find it, they receive a reward or ransom, as the Seder cannot end until the afikomen is found.

Research from wikipedia.org