Understanding 3 essential Passover rituals

Passover rituals are an important part of this religious celebration, which allow the faithful to partake in the journey and past experiences of the Jewish people. Three of the most important Passover rituals are cleaning the house, reading the Haggadah, and eating the traditional Seder meal.

• In the preceding days before Passover, the house must be thoroughly cleaned. This is done to eliminate any chametz, or leavened products, that are scattered throughout the house.
• The refrigerator should also be thoroughly cleaned to ensure there are no bread crumbs on the shelves or in the drawers.
• On the night before Passover, the entire family gathers for a ceremonial "cleaning of the chametz." Traditionally, ten pieces of bread are hidden to represent the 10 plagues, and the children in the family search for them.
• Once these pieces of bread are found, they are burned along with any other chametz on Passover morning.

• The Haggadah is the prayer book that tells the story of Passover. Reading from these pages is the first thing to occur at the Passover Seder.
• Families usually read the book out loud while sitting around the Seder table.
• Some actions that must be performed while reading the Haggadah include drinking four cups of wine and eating vegetables dipped in salt water.
• These actions have symbolic meanings that are explained in the Haggadah. Reading through the story of Passover is one of the most important Passover rituals.

• After reading the Haggadah, it's time to eat a delicious meal. Before digging in, though, a few additional rituals must be performed.
• A prayer should be said over the different items on the Seder plate, which is situated in the centre of the table.
• The items on the Seder plate include matzo, horseradish, a lamb shank bone, a hard-boiled egg, a green vegetable, and charoset, which is a mixture of apples, nuts, and red wine.
• Prayers are said for each of these items, and a small portion is consumed by each family member.
• Afterward, families are allowed to eat the main meal. Although there are no specific food items eaten at the Seder dinner, leavened products are not permitted.
• As long as that rule is followed, the Passover dinner can be a mixture of delicious foods.

Passover is a holiday that includes many rituals. These rituals have been performed for thousands of years, and due to their importance to the Jewish faith, they'll continue as part of the holiday for a thousand years to come.