Pesach Sameach -- Happy Passover!

1.

Passover, or Pesach, as it is also called, starts tonight at sundown (April 10) and Jewish families all over the world will be celebrating for the next week. Do you celebrate Passover?

Yes

10%

231 votes

No

90%

2025 votes

2.

How familiar are you with the traditions of Passover...I know some of you will be very familiar, probably much more versed in it than me, and some will have basic knowledge from a friend, or even the movie The Ten Commandments. For all of you, both knowledgeable and not, which of these did you know already?

Passover is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays, even by otherwise non-observant Jews.

35%

800 votes

Probably the most significant observance involves avoiding chametz (leaven) so nothing from five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after first coming into contact with water.

15%

342 votes

The traditional substitute for chametz is matzah which is an unleavened cracker and can be used as a substitute for flour in baking and cooking

18%

404 votes

Before the holiday, homes are cleaned out of all chametz in preparation, accompanied by spring cleaning

11%

257 votes

The traditional dinners (sedars) are held on the first two nights (or sometimes only one if you are in Israel) and ushers in the holiday

12%

277 votes

The sedar, which means 'order' is a special family meal filled with ritual to remind us of the significance of the holiday.

15%

349 votes

The text of the seder is written in a book called the haggadah. The haggadah tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt and explains some of the practices and symbols of the holiday

9%

214 votes

This holiday is a Time of Our Freedom, with many joyous songs sung during the seder.

9%

198 votes

Knew all of these

7%

166 votes

Knew none

49%

1116 votes

3.

The sedar plate which is a big part of the dinner ritual includes foods representative of very specific things. How many of these did you hear about?

Karpas -- green leafy vegetable, usually pasley, which represents the initial flourishing of the Israelites during the first years in Egypt and also springtime

8%

177 votes

Haroset -- mix of fruits, wine or honey, and nuts symbolizes the mortar that the Israelite slaves used to construct buildings for Pharaoh.

9%

210 votes

Maror -- bitter herb, usually horseradish allows us to taste the bitterness of slavery

10%

226 votes

Z'roa -- roasted lamb shank bone that symbolizes the lamb that Jews sacrificed as the special Passover offering when the Temple stood in Jerusalem.

8%

183 votes

Beitzah --roasted or hard-boiled egg that symbolizes the hagigah sacrifice, which would be offered on every holiday (including Passover) when the Temple stood. The roundness of the egg also represents the cycle of life

7%

169 votes

Some also include a second bitter herb and salt water but not all

5%

106 votes

Knew all of these

7%

168 votes

Knew none of these

73%

1651 votes

4.

The story of Passover is one of the most famous stories, known by both Jews and many non Jews alike. Are you familiar with the story, and have you seen any of these movies or TV shows which either retell the story or touch on the holiday?

Familiar with the story

26%

586 votes

Not familiar with the story

8%

186 votes

The Ten Commandments (original with Charlton Heston)

35%

791 votes

The Prince Of Egypt

17%

386 votes

A Rugrats Passover

5%

108 votes

Curb Your Enthusiasm -- The Sedar

3%

69 votes

Crimes & Misdemeanors

2%

50 votes

HBO's High Maintenance -- Elijah

1%

31 votes

Exodus: Gods and Kings

9%

203 votes

Saturday Night Live --Elijah the Prophet at a Seder

2%

52 votes

The Animated Haggadah

1%

20 votes

Shalom Sesame: It's Passover, Grover!

1%

25 votes

I have not heard or seen any of these

37%

840 votes

5.

So, even you who know everything about the holiday of Passover may not know some of these fun and interesting facts. How many did you know?

'Dayenu' is often sung during the seder, but Sephardic Jews from Iran and Afghanistan have a particularly lively custom in which they whip each other with oversize scallions.

5%

108 votes

In the Polish town of Gora Kalwaria, Hasidic Jews mark Passover by re-enacting the crossing of the Red Sea. To make it as realistic as they can, they pour water on the floor, lift up their coats and recite the names of the towns they would cross. They also make sure to raise a glass at each mention of a town and offer thanks to God for being able to reach their destination.

6%

130 votes

During Passover, to commemorate their past and celebrate renewal, some Ethiopian Jews break all their dishes and cookware and make new ones. The tradition is in keeping with the hope for emancipation and redemption that the holiday signifies.

8%

173 votes

There are thousands of Haggadoth available, and are bound to be some you're not familiar with--Interfaith, lesbian, secular/humanistic, vegetarian and for a recovering alcoholic

4%

95 votes

An orange has been introduced on some sedar plates as a gesture of solidarity with Jewish lesbians and gay men, and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community, including widows.

3%

72 votes

Knew none of these

83%

1880 votes

Results: Pesach Sameach -- Happy Passover!