Festival Notes 7: Passover/Unleavened Bread

Okay, this is brief because the festival starts in 3 days. I may add more later...yeah, right!

Passover & Unleavened Bread

• Translation: Passover & Unleavened Bread (the two festivals have basically become one and Unleavened Bread is simply a part of Passover as far as human custom goes)
  
• Biblical name: Pesach
  
• Reference: Exodus 12:14-17, Leviticus 23:5-6
  
• Jewish Date: 14/15 Nissan to 21 Nissan (1st month, 14th day at twilight, which is basically 15th day, for 7 days)
  
• Gregorian Date (2008): April 20 - April 27 (sunset 19th to sunset 21st) [from floridajewish.com]
• Sabbath? Yes. On the 1st day and the 7th day (Exodus 12:16 says the only work to be done is to make food for everyone. Of course, because this year the 1st day starts at the end of the weekly Shabbat, we can't cook either!)
  
• Festival Traditions:
• Eating Matzo
• Cleaning chametz from your house - cleaning sin from your heart/life
• No eating of leaven/chametz
• Seder meal (congregation, community, family, friends), which has TONS of traditions, both serious and fun
• Remembering the sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Yeshua HaMeshiach (this is obviously not a traditional part for most Passover observers. But He is our Passover Lamb!)