The weeklong festival of Passover, also known as Pesah and Pesach, is celebrated from the 15th day of the Nisan month of Hebrew calendar across seven or eight days. The Passover festival commemorates the release of the Jews from the enslavement of Egypt. Hence, it is regarded as one of the most significant festivals in the Jewish calendar and is celebrated with much pomp and glory. Passover in Australia takes the form of both a religious event and a merry-making occasion at the same time. While the residents in the city mark it with various modern activities and events, people in the rural areas observe it with different traditional festivities. To know more about Australian Pesach celebrations, browse through the following lines.
Passover Celebrations In Australia
Most of the Passover celebrations are confined to family and close friends at home. People who are not able to meet their loved ones for longer duration are invited to collectively observe the Passover festival. Some Jewish people even opt for celebrating the festival in their own unique way by driving off to a Jewish resort or hotel. Rituals mainly boast of the Seder meal carried out according to the Jewish culture. However, some people participate in educational activities and lectures pertaining to life of Jews and Passover.
Furthermore in rural and regional areas, celebrations are communal with Seder meals being organized. By doing so, it enables the Jewish people, living far off from the Jewish population, a perfect opportunity to observe the Passover celebrations with the same rituals and customs. Exclusive Seders can be observed in places like Byron Bay, Cairns, Coffs Harbor, Darwin and Fremantle. Passover is not declared as a public holiday in Australia, but most Jewish businesses and organizations are shut down for some or the entire period of Passover.
To mark the end of the Passover festival, many Australian Jews organize a Passover Seder on the last day of Passover as well. To bid goodbye to the festival, various Sabbath observances are followed on this occasion. The story of Passover is narrated at the Seder which is followed by a lavish Seder meal consisting of numerous symbolic foods. This meal is eaten following the traditional Passover rituals. As this meal marks the completion of Passover, the unleavened bread is replaced with the original bread. To view the one of the most spectacular celebrations of Passover in Australia, head straight to one of the outlying areas and get baffled by the scenic views.
