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When is Passover 2026? Dates, meaning, traditions explained
Passover 2026 begins April 1. Here’s what the holiday means, why it’s celebrated and how families observe it.
Published March 31, 2026 at 4:34pm by Faith Bugenhagen
On Wednesday, millions of Jewish people around the world will begin to celebrate Passover.
Jewish people in Texas and around the world will begin celebrating Passover this week, a multi-day holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt.
The holiday falls in the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar, typically in March or April. It lasts eight days outside Israel and seven days in Israel.
This year, Passover coincides with Christian Holy Week, which began with Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, April 5.
Passover begins at sundown Wednesday, April 1, and ends after nightfall Thursday, April 9.
What does Passover celebrate?
Passover, or Pesach — the Hebrew name for the holiday — marks the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
According to tradition, God saw the suffering of the Israelites and sent the prophet Moses to urge the Egyptian pharaoh to free them. When the pharaoh refused, God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt.
During the final plague — the death of the firstborn — the homes of the Israelites were spared, or "passed over," giving the holiday its name.
After the plagues, the pharaoh relented, allowing the Israelites to leave Egypt.
How is Passover celebrated?
Observances vary, but many families mark Passover with Seders, ceremonial meals held on the first two nights of the holiday in the United States.
The meals include symbolic foods such as matzah (unleavened bread), bitter herbs, eggs, and wine or grape juice. Families also read from the Haggadah, which tells the story of the Exodus.
In the days leading up to Passover, some families clean their homes and remove "chametz," or leavened foods. On the night before the holiday, they may search for and burn any remaining chametz.
Some observers refrain from certain types of work, including driving, writing or using electronic devices.
The final days of Passover commemorate the parting of the Red Sea. Observers may recite special prayers, study the Torah and mark the occasion with additional traditions.