A Pesach/Passover thread

[EishetChayil]

I tried to start one for Purim but didn't get any takers!

If anyone fancies a Pesach chat, I'm up for it.

I just did an order on Sabeny (a very useful grocery & sundries website, if you're not familiar with it - delivers all over the UK) after planning some meals, so I'm feeling weirdly on top of things.

Haven't even thought about cleaning yet.

@Daleksatemyshed It's not a ritual cleansing. It's a very real hunt and removal of all forms of leaven or things that traditionally (depending on where you lived ) could have come into contact with leaven products. You could do no cleaning at all, and just do a very thorough hunt and search and removal of chametz if you wanted. We are forbidden to eat leaven (chametz), so we cook with pots and pans that have never come into contact with chametz.
It's difficult to explain, but it's not symbolic observance, it's very much a lived religion with laws that are actively lived and observed and followed and practices that are based on how we live by those laws in an ever changing world/situations. Some of the traditions (minhagim) we follow nowadays are based on observances to do with rules made historically, as well.

When you drill down into our rules and rituals, it becomes clear that a lot of them are about mindfulness. Fully engaging every sense into actively being Jewish. Bringing awareness of your Judaism into every moment of life.

Things like preparing for Pesach do not feel like a burden when you're doing them. Exhausting, yes, but burdensome, no. Unless you're doing it alone. Then it can be difficult. Judaism is very much community-based.

Feel bad as we are going away… so not cleaning anything! Normally have 25/30 people for seder both of the nights so I have definitely paid my dues…

Thank you @EishetChayil, that makes sense to me now. When you said that it's not about religious observances but a lived religion, that struck a chord with me, not an occasional service or act but a life long, wraparound way of being.

See what a good effect this thread is having. This mucky Gentile has pulled her fridge out and cleaned behind it this morning.

@Daleksatemyshed I’m not sure if this is well known but Jesus’ last supper was a Seder.

@upinaballoon

See what a good effect this thread is having. This mucky Gentile has pulled her fridge out and cleaned behind it this morning.

@TickledOnion, that's interesting, I've never thought about what they ate or why.

@upinaballoon I've been watching Pesach cleaning videos on YouTube and it's really motivating me.
@TickledOnion I saw something shared on Instagram or twitter from a group of Jewish people requesting that Christians do not have a seder (it seems in some denominations it has become a thing) , or at least call it as seder as they feel it is an appropriation of a Jewish holiday, and something to do with Christians historically killing Jews.

[quote TickledOnion]@Daleksatemyshed I’m not sure if this is well known but Jesus’ last supper was a Seder.[/quote]
Which is why you have the un-bread-like 'bread' (matzah) and the wine at your Mass.

[quote TickledOnion]@Daleksatemyshed I’m not sure if this is well known but Jesus’ last supper was a Seder.[/quote]
It may have been on Passover, but it wasn't a Seder. That wasn't developed until well after Jesus' time.

@Dilbertian that's a dispute between the Catholics and the Orthodox. Orthodox Christians use leavened bread for the Eucharist. Catholics and Protestants use unleavened bread.

It may not have been a seder as we know it, in post-Babylonian times, but it would certainly have been an early version. The Seder is as old as the Jewish people. The mitzvah of celebrating Pesach and holding a Seder is in the Torah: Exodus.

As for the difference between the Masses in different forms of Christianity, that is as interesting to me as Pesach is to the non-Jews on this thread! I did not know about the leavened bread.

The Last Supper was a Passover Meal . Pontius Pilate offered to release a prisoner in honour of the holiday.

Gefilte fish , no matter how cooked , is just vile sorry

Gefilte fish , no matter how cooked , is just vile sorry
😲. Nooooo. It's one of my favourite things. Used to have it every week at my DGPs . We called them eyeballs because with the strategically placed slice of carrot on top that's what they reminded us of .

I’m in. I was a bit lazy during Covid though abs now my usual host for first night is going away. Planning a communal Seder for second night.

@Flyingteaspoon I really don’t like gefilte fish - became vegetarian just to avoid them! I don’t like fish at all though abs they are the fishiest of fish.

Sorry not sorry @Flyingteaspoon. But I like mazto ball chicken soup.

I'm in! Not very observant in our house but we do the Haggadah and Seder meal.
Also it's DD's bat mitzvah this weekend so she has a cool portion about preparing your land for pesach

@EishetChayil - are you hosting both nights or one?

@Flyingteaspoon

Gefilte fish , no matter how cooked , is just vile sorry 😲. Nooooo. It's one of my favourite things. Used to have it every week at my DGPs . We called them eyeballs because with the strategically placed slice of carrot on top that's what they reminded us of .

I can honestly say it took me about 22 years or so to come round to the concept of gefilte fish. I used tio shudder, but our friends who always hosted the first night would make gefilte fish in aspic with the carrot coin on the top. I used to smother it with beetroot and horseradish maror until I could eat it plain. :)

I have tried gefilte from a jar and it made me feel ill though.

Mazel tov to your dd, hidethetoaster! How exciting

I can see why gefilte fish isn’t everyone’s thing. Definitely a bit of a marmite situation.

Gefilte fish from a jar is a sin! But then there's gefilte fish and there's gefilte fish. It's either very, very good - or it's dreadful.

DH is Jewish, I'm not. DS fascinated at the moment and is insisting on the Haggadah every night. Sadly mummy doesn't read Hebrew so is getting out of bedtime