The Jewish Passover Festival
JEWISH PASSOVER FESTIVAL
MOOD:
The mood of this festival is happy as it is a celebration of freedom.
TIME AND DURATION:
Passover begins on the 14th or 15th day (depending on where you are from) of the month of Nisan and ends on the 22nd day of the month of Nisan. It is celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight days outside of Israel. The reason for the difference has to do with the way the ancient calendar worked.
HOW DOES THE RITUAL REFLECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JEWISH PEOPLE AND GOD?
The ritual reflects the relationship between Jewish people and God through the purpose of the festival. The aim of Passover for Jews is to create a connection between one’s self and God by fulfilling the biblical commandment from God to the Hebrews of commemorating and celebrating ‘Chag Ha-Matzot’ (the festival of Unleavened Bread).
WHAT PRACTICAL/ETHICAL ACTION COULD COME OUT OF CELEBRATING THIS FESTIVAL?
By recounting the events of the first Passover during Seder before dinner, Jewish people feel as if they had been personally involved in those events, therefore making them feel more aware of the events and they gain more empathy toward those still living under oppression and consequently work towards gaining their political and physical freedom as well. As well as this, another ethical action that comes out of the celebration is that many Jewish people invite all of their friends and family around for Seder and in particular the dinner.
EXTRA FACTS:
*The Passover festival is the oldest festival/holiday in Judaism
*Passover 's name comes from the last of the Ten Plagues visited on the Egyptians by Yahweh before the Exodus
*This festival has had an influence on some other religions, for example Christianity. The Christian feast of Maundy Thursday finds its roots in the Jewish feast of Passover, the night on which the Last Supper is generally thought to have occurred
*This year Passover begins on March 25th and ends on April 1st
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
MOOD:
The mood of this festival is happy as it is a celebration of freedom.
TIME AND DURATION:
Passover begins on the 14th or 15th day (depending on where you are from) of the month of Nisan and ends on the 22nd day of the month of Nisan. It is celebrated for seven days in Israel and eight days outside of Israel. The reason for the difference has to do with the way the ancient calendar worked.
HOW DOES THE RITUAL REFLECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JEWISH PEOPLE AND GOD?
The ritual reflects the relationship between Jewish people and God through the purpose of the festival. The aim of Passover for Jews is to create a connection between one’s self and God by fulfilling the biblical commandment from God to the Hebrews of commemorating and celebrating ‘Chag Ha-Matzot’ (the festival of Unleavened Bread).
WHAT PRACTICAL/ETHICAL ACTION COULD COME OUT OF CELEBRATING THIS FESTIVAL?
By recounting the events of the first Passover during Seder before dinner, Jewish people feel as if they had been personally involved in those events, therefore making them feel more aware of the events and they gain more empathy toward those still living under oppression and consequently work towards gaining their political and physical freedom as well. As well as this, another ethical action that comes out of the celebration is that many Jewish people invite all of their friends and family around for Seder and in particular the dinner.
EXTRA FACTS:
*The Passover festival is the oldest festival/holiday in Judaism
*Passover 's name comes from the last of the Ten Plagues visited on the Egyptians by Yahweh before the Exodus
*This festival has had an influence on some other religions, for example Christianity. The Christian feast of Maundy Thursday finds its roots in the Jewish feast of Passover, the night on which the Last Supper is generally thought to have occurred
*This year Passover begins on March 25th and ends on April 1st
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bibliography: URL: http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/Jewish-Holiday-Passover-Pesach.htm DATE VISITED: 9-3-2013 URL: http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/holidays/pesach.htm DATE VISITED: 9-3-2013