Between the 27th of March and 4th of April, from sunset to sunset is the Passover celebration, known as Pesach. This festivity celebrates the freedom from slavery and Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, once again free.
This day is celebrated by enjoying a seder, which is a traditional dinner consumed tonight in Jewish households, made of ritual food such as bread without yeast, bitter herb, and a mixture of sweet fruits, nuts and wine called the Haroset. Although different traditions can be found concerning food to be consumed on this day, mostly it is about having a simple and poor diet in remembrance of what the Israelites endured under Egyptian slavery. And it is not only about food, on this night the Hallel psalms are recited and sang from morning to evening.
This day also marks the beginning of Omer, which is a forty-nine day period to recall the count between the offerings that were brought to the Ancient temple in Jerusalem, following the 49 days comes the Shavuot, celebrating the time when on Sinai the Torah was received.
Pesach resembles very much Christian Easter and many other celebrations coming from the lunar calendar around this time of the year, between the 3d and 4th full moon, and each of these festivities celebrate life, resurrection, freedom, and survival, and that is only natural that the time of Spring’s rebirth is celebrated by the people of the Norther Hemisphere regardless of their ethnic, cultural and faith background. Likely to be among the first festivity to be celebrated across the very first human communities, where liberation, journeys, return to the original land of the foreparents, being alive and having survived strife and hardships is something that needs to be recalled, and celebrated by mind, body, heart and soul, as a sign of belonging to the self, the community and the world as a whole. Happy Passover to everyone.