Passover is celebrated to commemorate the freedom and exodus of Israelites (Jewish slaves) from Egypt, during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. It is the time of family gathering and lavish meals called Seders. The traditional Seder plate contains food items that have special meaning attached to them. The festival of Passover has a significant connection with the bread prepared at the homes of Jews, during its seven or eight days of celebration.
An important ritual of Passover festival is to avoid the cooking of chametz (anything made from the five major grains i.e. wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes, after it comes in contact with water) at home. This memorializes the fact that the Jews leaving Egypt were in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise and were forced to bake unleavened bread, known as matzah. According to tradition, the original matzah was kneaded and baked in a total of 18 minutes.
It was with the aim of remembering the escaping Jews that the notion of having unleavened bread was attached to the celebration. Today, unleavened bread forms an essential part of the traditional Seder plate. It is similar to a cracker and symbolizes the haste that the Jews experienced when they were fleeing slavery in Egypt. Through the days of Pesach, no leavened (that contains yeast) foods or grains are eaten on. Instead, matzoh and foods containing matzoh are prepared and eaten.
