Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-04-12
THE PASSOVER FEAST.
Hebrew Holiday of Joy Began This
 E0rninG.


 the celebration of Passover, a. well. come and joyful holiday in the He ,rew calendar. The feast continues for one week.
 Passover is different from all the other Hebrew holidays and is very peculiar. The orthodox Hebrews make the most of Passover The fes- tival is often a severe tax upon the strength of the women and takes Il great deal of money out of the mems pockets. The name of the feast. the Passover. is derived from the Bibli- cal fact that when the angel of death went forth to destroy the first born ! of, the Egyptians, he passed over the lsraelites, on the Iintel of whose doors the blood of a lamb had been Sprinkled
 Preparations for the holiday begin week before the first Seder com menceS. and it is said to be the busi- est week of the Hebrew women. when mead. preparation of water. honey or sugar and hops. is boiled. cOlored. cleared and slowed away. MatzOth. or unleavened bread. which is made out of floor and water only. is used. and all crOckery. tinware. cooking utensils and cutlery are put away and new ones take their places. All wOoi- work is scrubbed and everything has to be gone over thoroughly. so that no pieces of lcaven are left. The reason all the household articles are stored away Tor this occasion is that it is held to he sin to eat or drink out of anything that has contained leaven.
 The first Seder begins this evening. when the father will gather his wife. children and servants around the Seder to rehearse the won- derful deeds of Jehovah. The Seders are conducted with great deal of poetical interest. The house father and the youngest son sit on a feather bed. while the rest of the family sit around the table in order. The feast opens with prayer. of thanksyiviny and the drinking of the first cnp of mead or wine. after which the hands are washed. Bitter herbs are moist cneI in salt water and eaten, and then comes the second cup of mead. The youngest son. not knowing what all this ceremony is about. asks four questions of his father. wli,.h - taught him ny rabbi: Why is it that every other night we can eat leaven or unleaven. but tonight we eat m- leayen only: Why do we eat only bitter herb tonight? Why do we dip Matzoth in Morer: (NIorer is n mix ture of the bittercst herbs.) Every night you fthe father, eat in any posi- tion you want. hut why do you to- night sit on q feather bed. and lean on your arm and eat your supper in such n proud and noble way:
 The father then. in mournful tones followed by all the male attendants around the table. reads the Hagolah ar history. which answers the boys questions and tells of the times of Pharaoh. of the bondage of the Is- raelites in Egypt and of their deliver ance by Moses and of their crnSsip- the Red Sea. The meat is symbol of deliverance from death. The un- leaven bread and meat are symbols of the haste in which deliverance was effected. for when the IsraeliteS were on their flight from Egypt they stop pe'i on the way fur rest and in haste they mixed barley and water. forget ting tO put in salt The bitter herbs are symbol to remind them of & =ymi-ol already past. and the reason the father leans on his arm while eating is that he brides himself on the part God took in delivering his ancestors out of bondage.
 The Hagsrlah is read fin halves. Af- ter the first half is read the second cup of mead is drank. and the hands a-e washed again. after which the supper is eaten The third cup is ta- ken and is soon followed by the fourth and fifth The second half Of the Hagpish is read and is followed Iy joyful song The second Se-ler is read and celebrated in the same manner as the first During the week it is held to be very sinful to eat any thing which contains leaven. such as bread coffee liquor and hundreds of other articles There are large party gatherings during the week. and all kinds of games with nuts are played. and indulge1 in.