Origin and History of Passover in Israel
Passover is a Jewish festival that symbolizes the escape of Jews from Egypt in 1225 B.C.E. As per the record, Jews were forced by Egyptians to work as slaves to build the historical cities of Egypt. For many years, Jews enjoyed the protection of the Pharaoh, the chief of Egyptians. However, feared by the growing population of Jews, the Pharaoh decided to kill all male Jewish infants. On the other hand Moses (Jewish person) rescued the Jews with the help of God. It is believed that as a mark of bliss God told the Jews to celebrate their liberation from the slavery every year in the form of a seven day festival. Thus, the present day Passover came into existence.
Local name: Pesach
Ways to celeberate Pesach in Israel
In Israel, Passover is observed as a seven day holiday. During the seven day celebration, the first and last days are observed as full holidays. This period is known as the period of rest and thus no work is done. The remaining five intermediate days are observed as half holidays and traditional practices are performed during these days. In Israel Passover is a family holiday. Jews celebrate the holiday by reading the story of Passover and by enjoying the holiday feast called Seder. Many special recipes are prepared for Seder. Grape juice or wine is consumed by the Jews as they believe that drinking wine brings them close to God.
