Passover: History, Traditions, Seders and Food
Passover, or Pesach, celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, where they were slaves. The holiday has also come to symbolize and commemorate various types of individual, political and social freedom in modern times. Although there are basic laws and traditions, Passover can be a personalized celebration. The veritable cornucopia of Haggadahs available indicates the many ways to observe the holiday; every family celebrates in their own fashion. Learn about the basic traditions and choose some new ones to spice up your holiday.
Expand All Guide SectionsHistory and Traditions of Passover
Passover primarily celebrates the Jews’ exodus from Egypt, but it’s also a celebration of spring, rebirth and our modern-day quest for freedom. Below, you’ll find sites explaining the full history and current traditions of Passover.
Dulcinea's Insight
- The most traditional way to learn about the history of Passover is via the haggadah, the prayer book read at the seder, the Passover service and ritual meal. Find out about haggadahs in the “Passover Seder” section.
- One of Passover’s most important practices occurs just before the holiday begins: ridding the house of chametz, or leavened products. Chabad.org’s guide can show you how to do it correctly.
- Chabad.org, Aish.com and Beliefnet are all featured multiple times in this guide and offer comprehensive coverage of each aspect of the Passover holiday. We’ve distilled some of the most essential points from each site, but explore all of their Passover content to become a true expert or to just get your questions answered.
Dulcinea's Picks
Beliefnet
’s Guide to Passover is the most comprehensive one out there. If you’re new to the holiday or looking for a refresher course, your first stop should be “What Is Passover?”
MyJewishLearning.com
succinctly delivers an overview of Passover celebration history. The site traces the festivals and celebrations that merged and shifted to become the holiday we know today.
Chabad.org
puts the complete history of Passover in a bright, accessible interface that presents content about the holiday in an engaging manner.
The Passover Seder
Although Passover is observed for eight days, only the first two days are celebrated with a Passover seder, a meal designated to recount the story of Passover. There are many kinds of seders, from highly religious ones to those designed for young children. However, most seders have at least a seder plate on display and follow a haggadah.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Passover always begins at sundown on the 15th of Nissan in the Jewish calendar; hebcal.com provides Passover’s secular calendar date.
- Numerous versions of the haggadah exist, and it’s possible to find one to suit your family. If you have young children, ask their Hebrew schoolteachers if they can recommend a version. Or add interest to your seder by giving each guest a different haggadah, allowing each member of the group to contribute unique material to the service.
- New ideas for seders and haggadahs are continually generated. Mark Oppenheimer writes in Slate magazine about the multiplicity of haggadahs, the ways in which Jews try to adapt in modern times and why he likes the Maxwell House haggadah the best.
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To host a seder …
The Chabad.org
guide to the seder covers all the information you need and offers a little extra. Learn how to prepare for the seder (including setting up a seder plate), read the haggadah online, find relevant commentary or listen to Passover songs to sing at your own seder.
Beliefnet
’s “Interactive Seder Plate” explains what goes on the seder plate and why.
For haggadahs (haggadot) …
The Internet Haggadah
sells a haggadah in PDF format for $18 and allows you to print as many copies as you like. It’s especially designed for less religious folk looking for a shorter seder; view a sample before purchasing.
The Open Source Haggadah
project allowed numerous online organizations to contribute until a full haggadah was created. While it hasn’t been updated since 2003, it’s complete, and offers a smattering of opinions and commentary. Customize your own haggadah, adding or eliminating sections as you go.
For seder songs …
Aish.com
lists the lyrics of many of the songs that are part of the seder. Click on a song to stream the MP3 file and learn the tune as well.
For a feminist seder …
Miriam’s Cup
is a relatively new tradition that honors Moses’ sister, Miriam the Prophetess, and by extension, the important role that women play in the Jewish faith. Learn about the history and the rituals of Miriam’s Cup and host your own feminist seder.
For a politically conscious seder …
MyJewishLearning.com
supplies additional reading for your Seder that can make it more politically or socially relevant.
Who knew?
The Yale University Library Judaica Collection
contains antique haggadahs. Details of the collection, including photographs and images, are available online.
Kosher for Passover Foods
Passover is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar, and a joyous celebration of freedom and spring. Why, then, you might ask, am I forbidden to eat something delicious, like bread? If you read the sections above, you know the religious significance of giving up chametz, but your stomach may not be as understanding. Below, find a collection of kosher for Passover recipes you can use for your seder and for the duration of the eight-day holiday.
Dulcinea's Insight
- You’ll find more specifics on the seder meal and seder plate in “The Passover Seder” section of this guide.
- Congregation Beth Yeshurun provides a general overview of Passover Food restrictions and laws for Ashkenazi Jews. Judaism 101 explains how Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews differ, including the traditions they observe on Passover.
- Consider investing in “The New York Times Passover Cookbook.” It includes more than 200 recipes from top chefs, all of which might make you forget how much you miss bread!
Dulcinea's Picks
For the seder meal …
Aish.com
shares recipes for what it calls a “(Mostly) Traditional Seder.” That means a series of Old World recipes that you probably ate when you were a kid, as did your grandmother. The recipes are drawn from Aish.com’s Passover Cookbook, a mix of traditional seder-type foods and recipes that replicate the food you eat year-round. Aish has even more Passover recipes on another page.
GoodHousekeeping.com
supplies 20 Passover recipes that enable you to be a good cook and a good Jew at the same time. The magazine offers a twist on old recipes, such as Sweet and Sour Brisket as well as more alternative choices like Striped Bass with Lemons, White Wine, and Capers. Don’t forget to investigate the site’s gourmet dessert offerings.
New York Magazine
asked four top New York City chefs to devise a seder meal that was a semi-exotic break from the ordinary fare. The group combined Ashkenazi and Sephardic traditions to produce recipes that give a nod to old-world staples while embodying modern flavor and gourmet tastes. The recipes are all available on the site.
For Sephardic recipes …
Boston.com
, the online home of The Boston Globe, did a feature last year on a Turkish woman living in America and celebrating Passover in the Sephardic tradition; recipes are included.
The New York Times
shares the story of a Jewish woman born in Cuba and offers two of her Sephardic Passover dessert recipes.
For Passover desserts …
Cooking Light
explains some of the complications involved with making Passover desserts and meals. Read about six dessert recipes that adhere to kosher dietary restrictions, and are also suitable for those with gluten allergies.
Beliefnet
posts several user-submitted Passover dessert recipes. Click though the collection to see if anything from the wide variety of choices strikes your fancy. If not, submit your own.
To modify your year-round recipes …
Gourmania
has the scoop on how many scoops of potato starch to use instead of regular flour when baking and cooking during the holiday. Expand your horizons with ample suggestions for Passover substitutions.
For vegan and vegetarian suggestions …
University of Massachusetts
student Zahava Koren has a substantial collection of vegetarian Passover recipes on her homepage. Even nonvegetarians may wish to sample these creative and healthy alternatives.
VegCooking
offers recipes for a complete vegan Passover dinner.
Passover Wine
During the Passover seder, one of the rituals involves drinking four cups of wine. Even people who don’t keep kosher all year long usually seek out kosher wines for the meal. Although many people sentimentally reminisce about Manischewitz wine, there are many more kosher wine options available today. The following sites explain where to buy kosher wine, and which ones are thought to be the best.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Kosher wineries and wine Web sites recognize that Passover brings a flux of new customers, and often release new wines and publish reviews as the holiday approaches.
- Almost all kosher wines are also kosher for Passover.
Dulcinea's Picks
To buy kosher wine …
KosherWine.com
allows you to search its large catalog of kosher wines according to color, varietal, region, producer and mevushal status. This easy-to-use site provides user reviews and even has a wine club option if you want an easy, no-hassle way to get acquainted with kosher wines at generally reasonable prices.
To read reviews …
Wine Tasting Guy
, a wine blogger who specializes in Israeli wine, has ranked his favorite Israeli kosher-for-Passover wines at all price levels. He provides links to sites that sell his picks.
KosherWineGuy.com
's color-coded reviews will help you find an outstanding kosher wine with minimal searching. This reviewer's down-to-earth opinions on wine, tasted with food in real-life settings, make this site approachable and easy to use.
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