Jewish holiday · Wednesday evening, April 21 – Thursday, April 29, 2027
Passover
Eight days that tell the story of freedom, with matzah, a ritual meal called a seder, and questions at the table.
Say it like a neighbor
Chag Pesach Sameach
Say: KHAG PEH-sakh sah-MAY-akh · “Happy Passover”
If that is hard to say, “Happy Passover” is warmly received. A well-known toast at the end of the seder is “Next year in Jerusalem!”
Apr 21
Tap to explore the seder plate, one item at a time.
When is Passover? Key dates and days to know
Main day
Passover begins on the 15th of Nisan and lasts eight days outside Israel and seven in Israel. Observance begins at sundown the evening before. The first two and last two days are holy days when many observant Jews do not work.
What is Passover and what does it mean?
Passover, or Pesach, remembers the story of the Exodus: how the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. It is one of the oldest and most widely observed Jewish holidays, kept by Jews of every background.
The name comes from the story of the tenth plague, when God “passed over” the homes of the Israelites. The holiday is both a memory and a promise: Jews are asked to see themselves as though they too had been freed, and to care for people who are not.
Good to know: the Last Supper in the Christian gospels was a Passover meal, and the Qur’an tells the story of Moses (Musa) and Pharaoh as well.
How is Passover observed? Customs and traditions
Cleaning out chametz
Before Passover, homes are cleaned of chametz: bread, pasta and anything made from fermented grain. Many families search the house by candlelight the night before.
Matzah
For the whole holiday people eat matzah, an unleavened flatbread, to recall the haste of leaving Egypt. Leavened bread, cereal and many baked goods are put aside.
The seder
On the first night (and the second, outside Israel) families and friends gather for a ritual meal that tells the story, with a guidebook called the Haggadah.
The seder plate
A special plate holds symbolic foods: a roasted bone, egg, bitter herbs, charoset, a green vegetable and sometimes a second bitter herb. Try it above.
Four cups and four questions
Everyone drinks four cups of wine or grape juice. The youngest at the table asks “Why is this night different from all other nights?”
The afikoman
A piece of matzah is hidden for children to find and ransom, which keeps the kids awake and part of the story.
An open door
A cup of wine is poured for the prophet Elijah, and the door is opened for him. Many families also add an orange or olive branch to the plate, remembering people who are not yet free.
Being a good neighbor at Passover
Tap each one as you go.
Passover in Houston: how neighbors can take part
200+ neighbors at a recent multi-faith seder
Houston’s Jewish community includes Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chabad, Sephardic and unaffiliated families.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Houston publishes a list of community seders every spring, and many synagogues and Chabad centers open their seders to guests. If you need a place for a seder, they will help.
In recent years the Federation, Holocaust Museum Houston, the ADL, the American Jewish Committee, the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC and others have hosted a multi-faith seder for faith leaders and neighbors, with more than 200 guests.
Passover events in Houston
Houston’s community seders are listed in the Federation’s annual guide, usually posted in March. Please register early and ask about cost and kosher rules.
Questions neighbors ask about Passover
When is Passover 2027?
Passover 2027 begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 21, and ends on Thursday, April 29. The first seders are on the evenings of April 21 and 22.
What do you say on Passover?
“Chag Pesach Sameach,” or “Happy Passover,” is the usual greeting.
Why do Jewish families eat matzah on Passover?
Matzah is unleavened bread. It recalls how the Israelites left Egypt in such haste that their bread could not rise. Many families avoid leavened grain for the whole holiday and share a seder meal that retells the Exodus.
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