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פֶּסַח
Passover 5786
The Festival of Freedom
Passover (Pesach) commemorates the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. For eight days (seven in Israel), Jews remove all leavened grain products (chametz) from their homes and eat only matzah. It's the most widely observed Jewish holiday, celebrated with the Passover Seder — a ritual meal that retells the story of the Exodus through food, song, and storytelling.
Passover Traditions
How Jews observe Passover around the world.
The Passover Seder on the first two nights (first night only in Israel)
Removing all chametz (leavened bread, pasta, beer) from the home
Eating matzah — unleavened flatbread — for the entire holiday
The Four Cups of wine at the Seder table
Telling the story of the Exodus (Haggadah)
Searching for hidden afikomen
Elijah's Cup and the opening of the door
The 10 Plagues recitation
Passover Food Guide
Traditional foods and where to find them.
Matzah
The central food of Passover — unleavened flatbread baked in under 18 minutes. Available plain, whole wheat, or spelt.
Find nearbySeder Plate Items
Bitter herbs (maror), charoset (sweet fruit-and-nut paste), shank bone (zeroa), roasted egg, parsley (karpas), and chazeret.
Find nearbyKosher for Passover Desserts
Flourless cakes, macaroons, chocolate bark, and meringues made without chametz.
Find nearbyPassover Wines
Kosher Passover wine is required for the Four Cups. Popular varieties include Manischewitz, Bartenura, and Herzog.
Find nearbyKashrut Notes for Passover
All chametz (leavened products containing wheat, barley, oats, rye, or spelt that have been allowed to rise) must be removed before Passover
Kitniyot (legumes, rice, corn, beans) are avoided by most Ashkenazi Jews but permitted for Sephardic Jews
Food must be certified 'Kosher for Passover' (KP or Kosher L'Pesach) — regular kosher certification is not sufficient
Separate Passover dishes, pots, and utensils are typically used
Many products that contain kitniyot derivatives (like corn syrup) require checking even for Sephardim
Wine must be specifically Kosher for Passover certified
Find Kosher Food for Passover
Browse certified kosher restaurants, bakeries, and caterers in your city.
Los Angeles
From Pico-Robertson to the Valley
New York City
The Kosher Capital of America
Miami
Sun, Sand, and Kosher Everything
Chicago
Deep Dish Meets Kosher Tradition
Brooklyn
The Heart of American Jewish Life
Lakewood
America's Fastest-Growing Kosher Hub
Teaneck
The Modern Orthodox Food Capital
Baltimore
Star-K Central and Kosher Comfort
Philadelphia
Brotherly Love, Kosher Style
Houston
Texas-Sized Kosher in the Bayou City
Atlanta
Southern Hospitality Meets Kosher Cuisine
Dallas
Kosher in the Heart of Texas
San Diego
Kosher by the Coast
Denver
Mile-High Kosher Dining
Phoenix
Desert Oasis for Kosher Food
Boston
Where Tradition Meets Innovation
Detroit
Motor City's Kosher Scene
Cleveland
Heartland Kosher at Its Best
Seattle
Pacific Northwest Kosher
St. Louis
Gateway to Kosher
San Francisco
Bay Area Kosher Culture
Washington DC
The Nation's Kosher Capital
Las Vegas
Kosher Hits the Jackpot
New Jersey
The Kosher Corridor — Teaneck to Lakewood
Baltimore
Star-K Country — A Proud Kosher City
Philadelphia
From Rittenhouse to the Main Line
Houston
Texas-Sized Kosher Scene
Boca Raton
South Florida's Kosher Hub
Passover FAQs
Common questions about Passover 5786.
When is Passover 2026?
Passover 2026 begins at nightfall on Thursday, April 2, and ends at nightfall on Friday, April 10. The first Seder is on the night of April 2, and the second Seder is on the night of April 3.
What foods are forbidden on Passover?
All chametz — leavened products made from wheat, barley, oats, rye, or spelt that have risen — are forbidden. This includes bread, pasta, most cereals, crackers, beer, and whiskey. Ashkenazi Jews also avoid kitniyot (legumes, rice, corn, and beans), though Sephardic Jews permit them.
What can you eat on Passover?
Matzah is the central Passover food. Other permitted foods include meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products — as long as they are certified Kosher for Passover. Sephardic Jews can also eat rice, legumes, and corn.
Do kosher restaurants serve different menus during Passover?
Yes. Many kosher restaurants switch to full Passover-certified menus during the holiday, replacing bread, pasta, and regular sauces with Passover-compliant alternatives. Some restaurants close during Passover, while others specialize in Passover catering.
What is the Passover Seder?
The Seder is a ritual meal conducted on the first night (or first two nights in the diaspora) of Passover. It follows a specific order laid out in the Haggadah, a text that retells the story of the Exodus through prayers, songs, symbolic foods, and the telling of the story to children.