Passover: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 6, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	Pesaḥ • Hag ha-Matzot • Chag Ha-Matzot • Zeman Cherutenu • Festival of Unleavened Bread • Pesach • Season of Our Liberation

Photos and Videos

A family gathers around a table of food set for Passover seder, singing the prayer song Dayenu in their home.

Illuminated plagues

Illuminated plagues continued

Deaths of the firstborns of Egypt

15th-century German Bible illustration showing Moses leading a group of Israelites between parted green waves of the Red Sea, with Hebrew text above.

Four square pieces of matzo, an unleavened flatbread, stacked slightly askew on a white surface.

Rows of American soldiers in uniform and helmets sit at tables set with dishes, reading from booklets during a Passover service in Germany, March 1945.

President Barack Obama sits at a long table with friends and staff, reading from Haggadot during a Passover Seder in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House.

What and When Is Passover?

See All Videos, Images and Interactives →

Topics

seder ḥol ha-moʿed Elijah’s cup Nisan Ten Plagues of Egypt matzo Haggadah Jewish festivals Pilgrim Festivals Hanukkah Purim Tu BiShvat Rosh Hashanah Shavuot Yom Kippur Tisha b’Av Sabbath Tu b’Av Sukkot

Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic

Jewish religious year: Pilgrim festivals