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Different names have been associated with the holiday of Passover. Browse the article to know about the names of Pesach.
Passover Names
The Jewish community considers Passover as the most momentous festival in their calendar. Celebrated with immense zeal and enthusiasm across the world, Passover falls on the 15th of the first Hebrew month of Nisan. Passover, or Pesach, marks the liberation of the Israelites from the cruel slavery of the ancient Egyptians. Traditionally, Passover was celebrated as two different festivals by the Hebrews and other Middle Eastern cultures in springtime. The first was called Chag ha-Pesach, which means the “Festival of the Pesach”, while the other was Chag ha-Matzot, which meant the “Festival of the Unleavened Bread”. Eventually, both these festivals were merged into Passover. However, with the passage of time, other names also got associated with this occasion. Continue reading further to know the different named of the Pesach holiday.
Different Names Of Pesach
- The word Pesach has been derived from the ancient Hebrew verb “Posach”, which means to “skip over” or “pass over”. The term represents the freedom of the Hebrews from the dictatorship and enslavement by the Egyptians.
- Chag ha-Pesach, or the Festival of the Pesach, was a pastoral festival that was celebrated to welcome the arrival of the spring season. A “paschal” or “Pesach” lamb was sacrificed to God as a sign of thanking God for the renewal of springtime.
- Chag ha-Matzot, also known as the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, was an agricultural festival that was celebrated by farmers to commemorate the beginning of the grain harvest. The farmers discarded all sour or fermented dough as part of the ritual, before cutting the grain.
- Passover is also known as Chag ha-Cheirut which denotes the “Festival of Freedom or Redemption”. This relates to the entire journey of Jews achieving freedom and redemption from slavery under the Egyptians.
- Passover is also known as Chag ha-Aviv or Zeman Cherutenu, which means the “Festival of Spring” or the “Season of our Liberation”. This name signifies entrance of the Hebrews from Egypt into Cannan (Palestine), during spring. The Jews consider this crossing over as a new phase of Jewish cultural life.
- The festival is known as Passover in English, Pesah or Pesah in Hebrew, Pessah in French and Pésaj in Spanish.
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