I always think of this story every year as we prepare our hearts and minds for Easter. I know the holidays are not supremely related, but high holy days for any religion are worth knowing at least a little about. And it was said that Maundy Thursday's Last Supper was an observance of Passover.
From Wikipedia (ha - always a reliable source because it's "on the internet"):
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival and is one of the most widely observed holidays. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt.
In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Children of Israel escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. T
he Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "passover".
When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread dough to rise (leaven). In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called "The Festival of the Unleavened Bread". Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is a symbol of the holiday.
Have a blessed holiday, no matter what you are celebrating!
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