Passover, a major Jewish holiday celebrated by millions around the world, begins this week.
In the U.S., you may see families observing the multi-day holiday with special dinners, specific foods and different practices around working and resting. Steeped in tradition and symbolism, Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
The holiday lasts for eight days except in Israel, where it is only seven, and always falls during the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, which is typically March or April. This year, Passover runs concurrently with the Christian Holy Week that began on March 29 with Palm Sunday and ends on Easter on April 5.
Here’s what to know about Passover.
What is Passover?
Passover, or Pesach, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that celebrates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt in 1313 BCE, according to chabad.org and Britannica.
In the Biblical story behind Passover, God saw the suffering of the enslaved Israelites and sent the prophet Moses to the ruling Egyptian Pharaoh to demand their freedom. When Pharaoh refused, God sent the 10 plagues to Egypt (the plagues of blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the firstborn) as punishment, destroying crops and livestock and afflicting the people, according to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ).
When God set the final plague upon Egypt, killing all of the firstborn children, the children of the Israelites were spared and their homes “passed over” by death — hence, the name “passover.”
This final plague broke Pharaoh’s resolve and the Israelites were able to flee, though in a hurry. They were in such a rush, in fact, that the bread they had been baking to take along did not have time to rise, giving birth to the tradition of avoiding food with leavening agents, or “chametz,” during the observation of Passover.
When is Passover 2026?
This year, Passover begins at sundown on April 1.
How many days is Passover?
Passover lasts 8 days and will end April 9.
What time does Passover start?
Passover begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 1 and lasts until nightfall on April 9.
How is Passover celebrated?
Passover always starts and ends in the evening, but traditions can vary depending on geographical location.
Most commonly, there are Seders or ceremonial dinners, which take place on the first two nights of Passover in the U.S. They center around eating symbolic foods, including matzah (flat unleavened bread), bitter herbs, egg and wine or grape juice, and the recitation of the Haggadah, which tells the detailed story of the Israelites’ emancipation and exodus from Egypt, according to IFCJ and chabad.org.
Before Passover, families cleanse their homes − like spring cleaning − and the night before the holiday, they search for “chametz” items, such as bread crumbs. If found, these items are burned, Clémence Boulouque, associate professor of Jewish and Israel Studies at Columbia University in New York, previously told USA TODAY.
There are also restrictions on work, driving, writing, or using electronic devices, depending on observation.
The final two days of Passover commemorate the parting of the Red Sea, which provided an escape route from Egypt, and are also observed with specific traditions by some, such as reading a special prayer and studying the Torah.
Once Passover ends, families from North Africa or the Middle East often celebrate the Mimouna, a festival in which they decorate with lights and have a feast, Boulouque said.
Happy Passover greeting. How to greet someone during Passover
According to IFCJ, you can use some of the following phrases to greet someone during Passover:
Passover gifts for Jewish friends
If you’re invited to a Passover Seder or just want to give something to a Jewish friend to celebrate the holiday, websites like the Kitchn and Gift Kosher have plenty of suggestions. Gift ideas include Kosher wine or snacks like dried fruit and nuts.
However, some on the Judaism subreddit say bringing food is a “minefield” because of Kosher observances and is best avoided. “I’ve advised non-[J]ews coming to a [S]eder to bring nothing,” one user writes. “We know it’s complicated and it’s too high a bar to ask others to figure out.”
Flowers or a small plant are more appropriate if a guest must bring something, that user continues.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is Passover 2026? Greetings, gifts and more about Jewish holiday
Reporting by Chad Murphy and Mary Walrath-Holdridge, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
