Pesach 2024 (Passover) begins before sundown on Monday, April 22, 2024, and ends after nightfall on April 30, 2024.
According to the Book of Exodus, God commanded Moses to tell the Israelite’s to mark a lamb’s blood above their doors so that the Angel of Death would pass over them:
… they would not be touched by the tenth Plague of Egypt, the death of the firstborn. After this Plague, Pharaoh ordered the Israelite’s to leave, taking whatever they wanted, and asked Moses to bless him in the name of God.
The passage goes on to state that the Passover sacrifice recalls the time when God “passed over the houses of the Israelite’s in Egypt”.
This story is recounted at the Passover meal during the first two evenings of Passover by reading the Haggadah.
The Haggadah is a standardized ritual account of the Exodus story, in fulfillment of the command “And thou shalt tell (Higgadata) thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.”
The Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan, which at present falls between March 26 and April 25 of the Gregorian calendar.
The 15th day begins in the evening, after the 14th day, and the seder meal is eaten that evening. Passover is a spring festival, so the 15th day of Nisan typically begins on the night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox.
If you want to greet a loved one who is celebrating Passover, “Happy Passover” is an appropriate sentiment.
You could also say “chag sameach,” which means happy holiday in Hebrew, or chag kasher v’semeach, which means have a happy and kosher Passover.
Learn more about the Passover:
