Understanding Pesah (Passover): History, Traditions, and Significance

Pesah (Passover) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is celebrated for seven or eight days, depending on the Jewish community, and is one of the most important and longest-running festivals in the Jewish calendar.
The name "Pesah" comes from the Hebrew word for "pass over," which refers to the tenth plague that God sent upon the Egyptians, instructing them to kill every firstborn son. However, the Israelites were spared from this plague because they followed God's instructions to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, which served as a sign to the angel of death that their homes should be passed over.
The holiday is observed in the spring, when the Jews were freed from slavery and left Egypt. During Pesah, many Jewish people refrain from eating leavened bread or any products made with yeast, and instead eat matzah (unleavened bread) to commemorate the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt.
Pesah is a time of great joy and celebration, but it also includes many rituals and traditions that are meant to remind Jews of their heritage and their liberation from slavery. These include the Seder, a special meal that is eaten on the first or second night of Pesah, and the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt.