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* This essay will describe Passover a Jewish Holy Days. This essay will discuss the time of the year of the holy day(s), the historic origin of the holy day(s), and the religious practices associated with the day(s). This essay will also identify the theological or cultural differences that may lead to differences in the observance of the holy day by the various branches of Judaism. * Passover is a Jewish holidays, best known maybe because Christian history, the Last Supper was said to be a Passover meal. The last and greatest of the plagues is the death of the first-born sons of the Egyptians. The Israelite’s son weren’t killed because they have followed Yahweh’s warning and have marked the doors of their homes with the blood of a substitute - a sacrificial lamb (Exod. 12:13). Because God has “passed over” Egypt, the event is thereafter called the Passover or Pesach, and its yearly memorial has become one of the major Jewish festivals.
Passover begins on the 15th day of Nissan (Nissan is 30 days between March-April). Passover is the first of the three major holidays (Passover, Shavu’ot and Sukkot) with both historical and agricultural significance. Historically Passover observes the Exodus from Egypt after many years as slave to the Egyptians, as told in Exodus. Agricultural receives little attention, it is the beginning of the harvest season in Israel.
The weeklong holiday of Passover starts on the first lunar month and may have originally begun as a renewal springtime nature day. It recalls the Hebrew’s escape from Egypt slavery. Placing lamb blood from the Passover meal, as told in Book of Exodus, over the doors of the Hebrews, keeps the angel of death from killing their first born sons and the power of God “passed over” Egypt. The Passover Meal is a memorial meal, the Seder or order, at which Jews eat several symbolic foods
References: Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the World’s Religions Tradition, Challenge, and Change (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Judaism 101, retrieved on April 20, 2011 from http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm Wikipedia, retrieved on April 20, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki