Daily Calendar for Friday, April 15, 2022

Passover begins at sundown on this day. Passover, or Pesach, is an annual weeklong festival commemorating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt and slavery. The holiday, which begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, derives its name from the passing over of the homes of the Israelite slaves during the tenth plague. Family and friends gather together on the first and second nights of the holiday for the high point of the festival observance, the Seder. During the Seder, which means “order” in Hebrew, the experience of the Exodus is told in story, song, prayer, and the tasting of symbolic foods. Perhaps the most well-known of these foods is the matzoh (flat, crackerlike unleavened bread), which is a reminder of the haste with which the slaves—who had no time to wait for the bread to rise—left Egypt. Read more about Passover here.

Good Friday, also known as Great Friday, Holy Friday, or Sorrowful Friday, is a major Christian observance that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. It is a time for Christians to reflect upon his suffering and willing sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind. Churches may offer special services, as well as cover crosses with black cloth as a sign of mourning. For some worshippers, it is a day of fasting.

Good Friday occurs two days before Easter (which celebrates Christ’s resurrection). It is part of Holy Week, which starts with Palm Sunday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. In certain countries, such as Canada, it is an official public holiday. In the United States, a number of states declare this a state holiday.

Traditional foods served on Good Friday include hot cross buns. These spiced sweet buns usually contain currants or raisins and are topped with icing in the shape of a cross.”