🍷 Passover פֶּסַח
March or April Ages 4–11
Passover (Pesach) celebrates the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. Families gather for a seder, eat matzah and tell the story of the Exodus.
💬 Say: Chag Pesach Sameach! — Happy Passover!
📅 When is Passover?
| 2026 | Begins at sundown on Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · ends at nightfall on Thu, Apr 9, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 2027 | Begins at sundown on Wed, Apr 21, 2027 · ends at nightfall on Thu, Apr 29, 2027 |
| 2028 | Begins at sundown on Mon, Apr 10, 2028 · ends at nightfall on Tue, Apr 18, 2028 |
Jewish days begin at sundown. Dates follow the calendar used outside Israel; some holidays are a day shorter in Israel.
📖 The story
Long ago, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh made them work very hard building cities. God chose Moses to lead them to freedom. Moses went to Pharaoh and said, "Let my people go!" — but Pharaoh refused.
Ten plagues came upon Egypt, from frogs to darkness. Finally Pharaoh let the Israelites go. They left in such a hurry that their bread had no time to rise — so it became flat matzah. Pharaoh changed his mind and chased them, but the Red Sea split, and the Israelites crossed on dry land to freedom.
At the seder, families read the Haggadah, which tells the story in order. The youngest child asks the Four Questions, starting with "Why is this night different from all other nights?" Everyone looks for the hidden afikoman, and a cup is poured for Elijah the prophet.
✨ How we celebrate
- The seder and the Haggadah
- Eating matzah — no bread for eight days
- Asking the Four Questions
- Hunting for the afikoman
- Cleaning out chametz (bread and leavened foods) before the holiday
🔤 Hebrew words to learn
| matzah | מַצָּה |
| freedom | חֵרוּת |
| seder | סֵדֶר |
| question | שְׁאֵלָה |
🙏 A blessing: Bread at the seder
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַמּוֹצִיא לֶחֶם מִן הָאָרֶץ.
Say it: Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, hamotzi lechem min ha-aretz.
It means: Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the universe, who brings bread out of the earth.
At the seder this is followed by the specific blessing over matzah. This excerpt is not a complete seder guide.
✂️ Crafts & activities
Paper Seder Plate
You need: Paper plate, Six cupcake liners, Markers, Glue
- Glue six cupcake liners around the plate.
- Draw and label: shank bone, egg, bitter herbs (maror), charoset, greens (karpas) and chazeret.
- Use it to explain the seder to your family or class.
Frog Plague Puppet
You need: Green paper bag, Googly eyes or white paper, Red paper
- Glue eyes on the flap of the bag.
- Add a long red paper tongue.
- Make it hop when you sing about the ten plagues!
🖍️ Passover coloring pages
Passover quiz
Who led the Israelites out of Egypt?
Why do we eat matzah on Passover?
Who usually asks the Four Questions?
What is the special book read at the seder?
How many plagues were there?
💭 Let’s talk
What does freedom mean to you?
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