Passover 2005

Passover for the year 2005 starts on Sunday, April 24th and ends the 7 day holiday on Saturday, April 30th. For the Jewish calendar night begins before day, thus the holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day on the evening of Saturday, April 23rd. For Reform and Reconstructionist Jews who follow the Biblical text they celebrate the holiday over 7 days, however, Orthodox, Hasidic, and other Jews in the Diaspora will celebrate the holiday as 8 days ending on Sunday, May 1st.

Passover is a spring festival that begins in the months of March or April on the Gregorian calendar. Passover starts on the 15th day of the month of Nisan which is on the first night of a full moon after the northern vernal equinox (except leap months can make the festival start after the second full moon after the northern vernal equinox as in the year 2016).

The 7 or 8 day festival is one of the most important celebrations on the Hebrew calendar commemorating the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It begins with families gathering together the first night (first 2 nights for many communities outside Israel) for dinner called seder (meaning “order” of “arrangement” in Hebrew) and ends 7 to 8 days later.

Why do Jewish holidays start at nighttime?

According to the Torah, the story of creation in Genesis says “And it was evening, and it was morning day one”, “And it was evening, and it was morning; the second day”, thus night comes before day. So for the Jewish calendar all days begin at nightfall and end the next day at nightfall including holidays.

Days to Passover 2005

Sunday, April 24th is day number 114 of the 2005 calendar year with -18 years, -11 months, -25 days until the start of the celebration of Passover 2005.

Passover
Name(s):	Passover, Pesach
Type:	Observance, Jewish
When:	Begins 15th day of Nisan and ends 21st day of Nisan (7 day – Israel and liberal Diaspora) and ends 22nd day of Nisan (8 day – outside Israel traditional Diaspora) on the Hebrew Calendar