And one must prepare for it mentally as well as physically. More houses are painted the week before Passover than any other week in the year. More clothes and tchotchkes and dishes are bought. And unfortunately, more children are poisoned by the paint and the cleaning supplies. In Israel, Passover is a time of serious gift giving.
Children give and their parents get.
It's a Jewish Christmas in the springtime, a more serious time of gift giving than even Chanukah. And spring is definitely in the air. No matter where they are, almost every Israeli sits down to some sort of Passover seder, and even if just for one night, bread is replaced by matzoh and maror and charoses are the house specialties. Passover preparations transform Israeli society. Stores are filled with buyers and streets are turned into fairs.