The date of Passover, or Pesach, is determined by the Hebrew calendar, which is a lunisolar calendar based on the cycle of the moon. It is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of Nisan, which is the first month of the Hebrew calendar.
The 14th day (beginning at sundown) is the beginning of the holiday. Passover is celebrated for seven days and the celebration includes special customs and activities such as eating matzah, and reciting religious services and special prayers.
The exact date of the holiday changes each year because the Hebrew calendar is a lunar-based calendar, so the length of the month, and seasons shift each year. This means that the date of Passover is not always the same in the Gregorian calendar (the calendar many countries go by).
For example, in 2020, Passover fell on April 8, but in 2021, it will fall on March 27.
Why is Passover on different dates each year?
Passover is an important Jewish holiday which has been celebrated for thousands of years. Over time, Jews have developed a lunar/solar calendar to mark the set times for various holidays and other special days.
The Jewish calendar is based on a 12-month lunar year, which is slightly shorter than the solar calendar used by other cultures and religions. As a result, the dates of major Jewish holidays move around a bit on the solar calendar in each successive year.
Passover, which falls in the spring of the calendar year, is one of the major holidays impacted by this practice. In a nutshell, the date of Passover changes each year because the Jewish calendar is a lunar/solar calendar, and the dates of holidays on it can change year to year due to the differences between the lunar and solar calendars.
How are Easter and Passover related?
Easter and Passover have a historical and cultural connection as both are significant celebrations in the Christian and Jewish faiths, respectively. Passover, observed by the Jewish people, marks the freedom from bondage in Ancient Egypt and celebrates the coming of the distinct Jewish nation.
It is ritualized through prayer, storytelling and traditional Jewish meals.
Easter, celebrated by Christians, marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated both as a religious and cultural event. Symbolizing the promise of eternal life and hope, Easter is commemorated through various rituals such as Lent, attending church services, fasting, and Easter egg hunts.
Both Easter and Passover are holidays of freedom and a reminder of special traditions. While they may be celebrated differently, the core underlying theme is the same; freedom from trauma and recognition of the faith’s all-encompassing strength.
The holidays play a big part in the lives of those of all faiths and are deeply embedded in our culture.
Is Passover always the same day?
No, the date of Passover changes annually. Passover is observed on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan, which usually occurs between the end of March and the middle of April on the Gregorian calendar.
Since Nisan is a lunar calendar, the day of Passover shifts each year. However, the festival of Passover always lasts for seven days and is celebrated in the same way, with a Seder meal and the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
Was Jesus crucified on Passover day?
Yes, Jesus was crucified on Passover day. According to the Bible, the Jewish Passover was eagerly anticipated by the people of Jesus’ time and, as the prophecies stated, it was the time when Jesus was to be crucified.
The exact timing of the events of Jesus’ death are given in all four gospels. All four gospels report that Jesus died on Passover day.
The timing of Jesus’ death was so important to the Jewish religious leaders that, in order to ensure that Jesus was crucified on the exact day of Passover, they deliberately hastened the process of Jesus’ trial and condemned Him to death sooner than was customary.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was executed at the ninth hour of Passover day, which is the exact moment that the Passover lambs were being sacrificed in the temple.
The timing of Jesus’ death on Passover day was no mere coincidence. The Bible reveals that Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb whose death would bring to an end the annual observance of the Feast of Passover.
Jesus’ death was an integral part of God’s plan to bring about the salvation of mankind, fulfilling the ancient prophecies about the coming of the Messiah to save His people.
What day is Passover according to the Bible?
According to the Christian Bible, Passover is celebrated by the Jews on the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan and is known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of the Passover. The following day is the first day of the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Passover commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, which is described in The Book of Exodus in the Torah. During the festival, Jews abstain from eating any type of leavened bread and recite passages from the Haggadah, a liturgical re-telling of the Exodus story.
The day is also marked with special services and rituals, such as the eating of the roasted Passover lamb and the four cups of wine that symbolize deliverance and redemption.
Why is Passover and Good Friday on different days?
Passover and Good Friday fall on different days due to the different calendars that are used to determine the Feast of Passover and Good Friday. The Jewish calendar is a lunar-solar calendar, which incorporates intercalated months and scheduled leap years to remain in line with both the moon’s cycles and the solar year.
In contrast, the Christian calendar is a calculated solar calendar, which is why Passover and Good Friday will not always fall on the same day, and can sometimes be several weeks apart on the calendar.
Passover is celebrated in the spring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, while Good Friday is celebrated on the Friday immediately preceding Easter, which is determined by the date of the first full moon following the vernal equinox.
While the lunar cycle of the Jewish calendar typically falls in line with the Christian calendar, the leap years and scheduled intercalated months complicate this relationship. Therefore, while Passover and Good Friday may sometimes coincide on the same day, they often do not due to the different methodologies that each religion uses to determine the dates of their respective holy holidays.
Why do we have two Passover seders?
The two seders for Passover are based on the biblical instructions given in the book of Exodus, in which God commands the Jews to celebrate the holiday for seven days. Historically, the first two nights of Passover were observed with a festive meal, accompanied with liturgy and song.
The seder on the first two nights of Passover is known as the ‘full’ seder and includes the full liturgy and prayer.
The first seder is known as the ‘Seder of Egypt’ (Maggid) because it looks back to the night that God passed over the Jewish people during the 10th plague on Egypt. The seder is a reenactment of this event, as it is told through the Haggadah, a small book of stories, songs, and blessings.
It is a time when families recall the Ten Plagues and relive the Exodus story. For example, participants pour out a glass of wine to commemorate the 10 Plagues, and there are symbolic foods like horseradish and bitter herbs that are meant to remind us of the hardships of slavery.
The second seder for Passover takes place the seventh day of the holiday and is known as the ‘Seder of Completion’ (Haf-Tzah). This seder is not as elaborate as the Maggid, but its purpose is to celebrate the completion of the miracle of Passover and to reflect on how God made the transition from slavery to freedom.
As part of this celebration, the participants retell the story of how God changed the course of history and how the Jews were given the Torah at Mount Sinai.
In conclusion, the Torah emphasizes the importance of commemorating the Jewish people’s journey to freedom with two elaborate Passover seders. The first seder, Maggid, is meant to recall the plagues of Egypt and the escape from slavery, and the second seder, Haff-Tzah, is meant to commemorate the completion of the process from slavery to freedom.
Are Passover and Good Friday the same day every year?
No, Passover and Good Friday are not the same day every year. Passover typically falls on the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar and is observed by Jews globally. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday and is observed by many Christian traditions.
Since the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars operate on different cycles, the timing of Passover and Good Friday will not always be the same. As an example, in 2019 Passover began on April 20th and Good Friday began on April 19th.
Conversely, in 2020, Passover started on April 8th and Good Friday began on April 10th.
Why does Easter change every year Passover?
The two holidays, Passover and Easter, share some similarities in their roots in the Jewish and Christian faiths, however, the actual date of Easter changes each year, while the date of Passover is always the same.
This is due to the fact that Passover is determined by a lunar calendar while Easter is determined by a solar calendar.
The lunar calendar follows the cycles of the moon and has 12 months of either 29 or 30 days, making the total 354 days. This means that Passover takes place in the same month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar, which corresponds with March or April in the Gregorian calendar.
The solar calendar, on the other hand, was created by Julius Caesar and is what we use today. It has 365 days in a year and follows the cycle of the sun, which is why its months and dates stay relatively consistent.
The date of Easter is determined by the first Sunday that falls following the Paschal Full Moon, which historically has been linked to the Jewish Passover, which usually falls during the month of Nisan.
The Paschal Full Moon can sometimes fall on the night of a regular full moon, in which case Easter is the following Sunday. If, however, the Paschal Full Moon is different from the regular full moon, then the date of Easter is set to the Sunday that follows the Paschal Full Moon.
To sum it up, the date of Easter changes every year as it is determined by a solar calendar, while Passover is determined by a lunar calendar and always falls within the month of Nisan.
What is difference between Passover and Easter?
Passover and Easter are both important religious holidays that are celebrated by different faith traditions and cultures. Passover is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from captivity in Egypt, and Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Passover is celebrated in the spring, usually in April. The eight-day celebration begins with a special dinner called a Seder, which involves eating certain traditional foods, drinking wine, and recounting the story of the Exodus.
During Passover, Jews also abstain from eating leavened bread, instead eating matzo.
Easter is also celebrated in the spring, usually in late March or April. It marks the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, according to the Bible. It is often celebrated with special services at church, and the Easter Vigil is especially important.
It marks the time Jesus is said to have risen from the dead. Easter is often celebrated with rituals such as the Easter egg hunt, in which children search for brightly-colored eggs. It is also seen as the beginning of spring.
In summary, Passover and Easter are different holidays that are celebrated in the spring by different faith traditions. Passover celebrates the Exodus of the Jews from captivity in Egypt, and Easter celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Both holidays have traditional ceremonies, special meals, and rituals.
Why do Easter and Passover not coincide?
Easter and Passover do not coincide because Easter and Passover follow two completely different calendars. Easter follows the Gregorian Calendar, which is based on a solar year of 365 days. Passover, however, follows the Hebrew Calendar, which is based on a lunar year of 354 days, so the date of both the Gregorian and Hebrew calendars are always shifting relative to each other.
Additionally, the date of Easter and Passover are determined by different holidays that occur within their respective calendar systems. While Easter is set by the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox, Passover is determined by the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (which is usually in March or April).
Therefore, due to the different calendars and different holiday determinations, Easter and Passover often do not line up with each other.
Is Easter always 3 days after Passover?
No, Easter is not always 3 days after Passover. The timing of Easter has to do with the lunar calendar and which day the full moon falls on. Historically, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon on or after the spring equinox, which is March 21.
Because of this, the exact date of Easter is not always the same, and can vary by a few weeks over the years. Therefore, it is not always 3 days after Passover. Passover, however, always occurs at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nissan, around mid April.
Who changed Passover to Easter?
The church changed the day of Passover to Easter, which is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The change was made in 325 AD by the Council of Nicea, a gathering of church officials and scholars convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
At the Council, a decision was made to move the observance of the Passover feast from a fixed date in the Jewish calendar to a fixed date in the Christian Calendar, which is close to the date of the vernal equinox.
To commemorate the resurrection of Jesus, the name of the feast was changed from Passover to Easter. Even though Easter is linked to Passover, they are in fact two distinct celebrations. While Passover commemorates the exodus from Egypt, Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
Why is Good Friday and Passover on the same day?
Good Friday and Passover both occur on the same day because of their intertwined historical significance. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and Passover is a celebration of the Biblical story of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt.
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was crucified during what is known as the Passover Feast, or Pesach, which is celebrated on the 14th day of Nisan according to the Hebrew calendar. This connection between the two is significant, as both mark the faith in deliverance of oppression and the triumph of the human spirit.
The complete story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be found in the four gospels of the New Testament. The Last Supper, celebrated by Jesus and his disciples, is thought to have taken place on this same night, or Passover.
During the Seder or Passover meal, Jesus speaks of his upcoming death and resurrection and predicts his sacrifice.
Therefore, both Good Friday and Pesach, or Passover, are celebrated on the same day, in recognition of coinciding events and the shared stories of salvation. Each year, Christians and Jews around the world pause during this sacred and holy day to give thanks to God, celebrate freedom, and remember their shared s story of deliverance.