Passover 2027: dates and traditions of Pesach
Passover (Pesach) celebrates the Exodus from Egypt and the gift of freedom. It is probably the holiday most widely celebrated at home: the Seder brings several generations together around the Haggadah, which is read, sung and debated late into the night. Throughout the festival, leavened bread is off the menu, replaced by matzah. Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the diaspora, in spring, in the month of Nisan. Here are its dates, its meaning, how the Seder works and the food of the festival.
When is Passover in 2027?
2027
From the evening of Wednesday 21 April until nightfall on Thursday, 29 April 2027
In Israel: until Wednesday, 28 April 2027
in 165 days
2028
From the evening of Monday 10 April until nightfall on Tuesday, 18 April 2028
In Israel: until Monday, 17 April 2028
Every holiday begins at sunset the evening before and ends at nightfall; dates shown are those observed outside Israel, with Israel’s dates noted where they differ.
What Passover means
Pesach, meaning “passing over”, recalls the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and their departure under Moses. The plagues, the crossing of the sea and the march towards freedom lie at the heart of the festival. Leaving in haste, the Israelites had no time to let their bread rise: hence matzah, unleavened bread, and the ban on chametz, any food made from fermented grain. Tradition asks each person to see themselves as if they had personally come out of Egypt. Passover is not just a memory; it is about handing down the meaning of freedom from parents to children. It is also a spring festival and one of the three pilgrimage festivals. From the second night, the counting of the Omer begins, forty-nine days leading to Shavuot.
The Seder and Passover traditions
Before the festival, the home is cleaned from top to bottom to remove chametz; on the night before, a search is made by candlelight, and in the morning whatever remains is burned or disposed of. Many use dishes kept only for Passover. The Seder, meaning “order”, follows a set sequence: the Haggadah is read, the youngest asks the Four Questions of Ma Nishtana, four cups of wine are drunk, matzah, bitter herbs and charoset are eaten, and the door is opened for the prophet Elijah. The Seder plate holds the symbols of the festival. Early on, a piece of matzah, the afikoman, is hidden, and children hunt for it to win a reward. There are two Seder nights in the diaspora and one in Israel.
Passover food
Matzah is everywhere: plain, fried as matzah brei, or baked into cakes with matzah meal. In Ashkenazi homes, the Seder meal often begins with chicken soup and matzah balls, and gefilte fish. Sephardic families make mina, a matzah pie filled with meat or vegetables, along with lamb, artichokes and broad beans. Customs differ over kitniyot, legumes and rice: most Ashkenazim avoid them, most Sephardim eat them. At the end of the festival, families of Moroccan origin celebrate the Mimouna, with mufleta pancakes and honey.
Passover as a couple
Passover often raises the big question for young couples: whose Seder do we go to? With two Seder nights in the diaspora, many spend one evening with each family. Discovering your partner’s Seder, its melodies, its customs, its well-worn Haggadah, is a real way into their family story. And one day, perhaps, it will be your turn to lead the Seder, hide the afikoman and pass the story on to the next generation.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Passover last?
Passover lasts seven days in Israel and eight in the diaspora. The first and last days are full festival days, doubled outside Israel; the intermediate days, chol hamoed, are less restrictive.
What is chametz?
It is any food made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has fermented, such as bread, pasta or most beers. It is avoided for the whole festival and removed from the home before it begins.
What is the afikoman?
It is half a piece of matzah set aside early in the Seder and eaten at the end of the meal. In many families children hide it or hunt for it, which keeps them awake until the very end of the evening.
How are Passover and Shavuot connected?
From the second night of Passover, forty-nine days are counted, the Omer, and Shavuot falls on the fiftieth. Tradition thus links the Exodus from Egypt to the giving of the Torah.
One day, a Seder of your own
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