The DEI Committee is pleased to share information on heritage and history months celebrated by the TDSB. We have also encouraged Allenby families to share with us days of significance to them for us to share with our broader community. This month we heard from our community about the approaching holidays of Passover and Easter.
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the Jewish religion’s most sacred and widely observed holidays. The overall theme of Passover is redemption and the story of the Israelites’ departure from Egypt. Jewish people observe the holiday for 7 days with a number of important rituals. This year Passover will be from sundown on April 5th to sundown on April 13th.
One major part of Passover is the preparations, consisting of removing all traces of leavened food from the home. Instead of bread, Jewish people eat a type of flatbread called matzah. According to the tradition, this is because the Hebrews fled Egypt so quickly to escape slavery that there was no time for their bread to rise.
The central ritual of Passover is the seder, which is a ritual meal typically in people’s homes that includes a number of symbolic foods, prayers, and traditional songs from the Haggadah—a book that tells the story of the redemption from Egypt. A seder plate is found on the table and contains particular foods with significance to the Passover story. As well, children play an important role in the seder and are expected to take part in many of the customs. The youngest child recites the four questions, which ask why this night is different from all other nights. Find more information on Passover here.
Easter is often considered the holiest day of the year for Christians and celebrates their belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The holiday concludes a series of events and holidays that begin with Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice. The week before Easter Sunday is known as Holy Week and Christians remember events such as Holy Thursday, which marks the Last Supper of Jesus and his 12 Apostles, and Good Friday which remembers the crucifixion of Jesus. On Easter Sunday, many Christians attend church services and some participate in the traditions of decorating and searching for coloured eggs. The eggs are ancient symbols of new life. This year, Good Friday takes place on April 7th and Easter Sunday is on April 9th. Find information on Easter events happening in Toronto and the GTA here.
If you wish to contribute information on a celebration or holiday that is important to you and your family, please don’t hesitate to email Faith and Adeeba at AllenbyDEI.