The eight-day festival of Passover is celebrated by Jews around the world in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan. In 2010, Passover will be celebrated from Monday evening, March 29 through sunset on Monday, April 5. (In 2011, the dates are April 18-25.)http://www.when-is.com/passover-2010.asp

Passover commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. When Jews follow the traditions of Passover, it is a meaningful way to reconnect with the past and experience the freedom gained by Jewish ancestors.

The story of Passover is familiar to Jews and likely people of other religions as well. In brief, the Jews were enslaved by Egyptian Pharoahs for many generations and were forced into backbreaking labor. Moses, a Jew adopted by an Egyptian princess after being found as an infant in a drifting basket in the river, saw the Jews’ distress. God sent Moses with a message to Pharoah, “Let my people go!” However, the Pharaoh refused Moses and God’s command. God then set 10 devastating plagues upon the Egyptians, which miraculously “passed over” the Jews (hence the name of the holiday). The plagues destroyed crops, livestock and even first born sons. Eventually, Pharoah relented and he chased the Jews out of Egypt.

In fact, the Israelites left Egypt in such a hurry that the bread they baked as provisions for their journey to the Promised Land did not rise, which is why Jews eat matzah today. After leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the Jews went on an exodus to Mount Sinai where they received the ten commandments at God's chosen people.http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/871715/jewish/What-Is-Passover.htm

Passover is an 8-day festival with specific rituals that should be observed. This article will provide guidance regarding how to prepare for Passover to make it a memorable holiday for the family. Below you will find advise about seder, meal planning and ways to include children in the Passover rituals.

Seder is the ritualistic meal, performed on the first and second night of Passover. Seder commemorates the Jews’ freedom and exodus from Egypt. If you do not want to host your own seder, it is possible to join a planned seder in your community. Consider reaching out to your local synagogue to inquire about community seders or families that are willing to host people in their homes for seder, which is a common courtesy offered by many Jewish families. If there is no synagogue in your community, check with local colleges to see if there are Jewish organizations on campus, which likely will host Passover seders. Chabad.org also offers an international directory of seders that may assist your search.

If you plan to host your own seder either the first and/or second night, take some time to plan the event in advance as there are several aspects to consider:

1. Secure RSVPs to your seder so that you know how many people are coming to dinner and whom will need a Haggadah -- the book used to create the seder service at dinner
2. Select your Haggadah. There are many Haggadah’s produced; some are very traditional with large amounts of Hebrew and the entire service can take more than an hour. Other Haggadah’s are written with young families in mind. They are brief with less Hebrew. Haggadah’s can be purchased at synagogues, book stores or online. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1735/jewish/The-Haggadah.htm Even Amazon.com sells a wide range of Haggadah’s. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_5?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=haggadah+for+passover&x=0&y=0&sprefix=hagga
3. Locate the ritualistic foods and recipes needed to participate in the seder. (More information on the seder plate follows in step 2.)
4. Plan the Passover meal, which follows the seder, keeping in mind dietary restrictions. During Passover, food with leavening is not permitted (so no bread!). Also, do not mix dairy and meat products as that is not kosher.

Produce your seder plate foods in advance as they take some time to prepare. The foods used in the seder ritual can be displayed on a fancy seder plate, but a regular plate is okay too.

Display:

1. The shankbone
2. An egg
3. Bitter herbs(maror)
4. Charoset
5. Karpas (parsley dipped in salt water)
6. Bitter herbs (romaine lettuce) http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/661095/jewish/Introduction.htm

The special foods we eat on Passover are also food for thought.http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/pesach/pesseder.htm

The shankbone represents the lamb that was the special Paschal sacrifice on the eve of the exodus from Egypt. It is not eaten during the meal, but does need to be cooked.http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1999/jewish/The-Shank-Bone.htm

The hard-boiled egg represents the holiday offering brought in the days of the Holy Temple.http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/2000/jewish/The-Egg.htm

The maror, usually made from grated horseradish, romaine lettuce, or endive, remind Jews of the bitterness of slavery. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/2001/jewish/The-Bitter-Herbs.htm

The charoset, made from apples, nuts and wine, represents the mortar and brick made by the Jews for Pharoah. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/2002/jewish/The-Paste.htm

The karpas represents the backbreaking work of the Jews. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/2003/jewish/The-Vegetable.htm

The bitter herbs, usually lettuce which holds the maror, represents the tears Jews cried.http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/2004/jewish/The-Lettuce.htm

In addition to the food on the seder plate, there needs to be three pieces of matzah covered by a cloth. The matzah are used during the meal as directed by the Haggadah. One piece is broken in half and hidden for children to find later, which is called the afikomen. Whoever finds the afikomen should receive a small prize from the adults. It is lucky to find the afikomen!

Passover is a time for families to be together to remember their Jewish ancestry. However, the seder can be long and confusing for children. It is important to incorporate activities that make them feel included in the ritualistic meal. Some ways to include children are:

‘’’The Four Questions’’’ It is traditional for the youngest person attending the seder to recite the four questions during the seder. They can be stated in English, but older children can try reading or saying them in Hebrew as well. To prevent public speaking nerves, work with your child in advance to become familiar with the four questions. In English, the question is repeated four times with four different answers.

The question is: What makes this night different from all [other] nights? The answers are:

1. On all nights we need not dip even once, on this night we do so twice!
2. On all nights we eat chametz or matzah, and on this night only matzah.
3. On all nights we eat any kind of vegetables, and on this night maror!
4. On all nights we eat sitting upright or reclining, and on this night we all recline!

This is the transliteration of the questions in Hebrew:

The Question is: Mah nishtanah halyla hazeh mikol halaylot

1. She'bechol halaylot ain anu matbilin afilu pa'am echat, halyla hazeh shtei pe'amim?
2. She'bechol halaylot anu ochlim chametz o matza, halyla hazeh kulo maztah?
3. She'bechol halaylot anu ochlim she'ar yerakot, halyla hazeh maror?
4. She'bechol halaylot anu ochlim bain yoshvin bain mesubin, halyla hazeh kulanu mesubin?

Crafts Children can also participate in Passover by contributing crafts to the seder. Consider having them make the cloth cover for the matzah plate or designing their own seder plate. They can even make their own Kiddush cup. http://familyfun.go.com/parties/a-kid-friendly-passover-seder-704900/4/

Songs There are many Passover songs that can be sung during the seder. Music and lyrics can be found at Chabad.org http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/368385/jewish/Passover-Songs.htm