Origin and History of Passover in Canada
As per the biblical records, Passover is a Jewish holiday observed to commemorate the freedom of Jews from slavery. It is believed that the incident took place 3000 years ago when the Jews worked as slaves for nearly 400 years to construct the historical cities of Egypt. With the help of God, Moses helped the Jews to escape from slavery. This happened after God caste upon ten epidemics to kill the firstborn of all Egyptians. The Egyptians freed the Jews after this incident. Thus, Passover came into existence to celebrate the freedom of Jews. The holiday got the name Passover because Jews believed that the God passed over their houses and helped them to get out of their problem.
Local name: Pessa'h
Ways to celeberate Pessa'h in Canada
In Canada Passover is not a public holiday; however some Jewish organizations and businesses remain close on this day. Most of the Canadian Jews celebrate Passover by spending time with family and friends. Some people gather at the synagogue for community prayers and a festive meal called Seder. This feast mainly consists of eating the unleavened bread called matzah. Apart from this there is romaine lettuce, boiled egg, boiled potatoes etc. In order to make the Passover a jovial moment, people combine Seder with other activities such as indoor games, adventure outings etc. Others use this period to study the Jewish culture and Torah.
