Passover Eve in the United States

Day and History: Passover Eve, also known as Erev Pesach, marks the beginning of Passover, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Hebrew Bible. The story is detailed in the Book of Exodus and centers around God passing over the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague on Egypt. In 2023, Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 5.

Traditions: On Passover Eve, families and friends gather to participate in a ceremonial meal called a Seder. The Seder includes reading from a Haggadah (a text that outlines the order of the Seder and tells the story of Exodus), drinking four cups of wine, eating matzah (unleavened bread), and partaking in symbolic foods placed on a Seder plate. These foods include maror (bitter herbs), charoset (a sweet mixture representing mortar used by slaves), karpas (vegetable dipped in saltwater), zeroah (shank bone symbolizing sacrifice), beitzah (egg representing life and rebirth), and chazeret (additional bitter herb).

Activities:

• Cleaning: Leading up to Passover Eve, homes are thoroughly cleaned to remove chametz (leavened bread or grain products forbidden during Passover).
• Selling Chametz: Many observant Jews will symbolically sell their chametz to a non-Jewish person for the duration of Passover.
• Searching for Chametz: On the night before Erev Pesach, there is a traditional search for any remaining chametz by candlelight.
• Burning Chametz: Any remaining chametz found is burned on the morning before the Seder.
• Siyum: Firstborn sons traditionally participate in a siyum (completion) ceremony after finishing a study of Jewish texts as this event allows them to forego fasting on Erev Pesach.
• Preparation for Seder: Preparing special dishes that adhere to Passover dietary restrictions is an essential part of Erev Pesach.

Throughout America, Jewish communities observe these traditions with variations reflecting their cultural diversity. Public Seders may also be organized by synagogues or community centers to accommodate those who do not have a family Seder to attend.

Passover Eve is both a time for solemn reflection on themes of freedom and