Passover 2027
A story told around the table, with questions asked by the youngest.
Countdown to Passover 2027
Dates
When is Passover?
Passover 2027 falls from Wednesday, 21 April 2027 to Wednesday, 28 April 2027.
Pesach 5787 begins at sundown on 21 April 2027, ending on 28 April in Israel and 29 April in the diaspora.
Date checked against hebcal.com
| Year | Dates | Length | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 – 8 April 2026Wed – Wed | 8 days | Past |
| 2027 | 21 – 28 April 2027Wed – Wed | 8 days | Confirmed |
See every festival by date in the 2026 festival calendar and 2027 festival calendar.
The story
What it is, and why it matters
- Type
- Food & Harvest
- Tradition
- Jewish
- Where
- Jerusalem, Jerusalem District
- Crowd
- Observed by Jewish communities worldwide
- UNESCO
- Not inscribed
Passover is celebrated by Jewish communities around the world. Jerusalem is our host: in the days before, the city cleans, shops cover their bread shelves, and on the first night almost every home has guests.
Passover, or Pesach, remembers the Exodus — the Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt as told in the Book of Exodus. It begins on the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasts seven days in Israel and eight in many communities outside it.
Its heart is the Seder, a ritual meal on the first night, where families read the Haggadah, eat symbolic foods and retell the story so that each generation hears it. During the festival no leavened bread (chametz) is eaten, and homes are thoroughly cleaned beforehand to remove it.
Culture
Traditions, food and music of Passover
Traditions
What actually happens
- The Seder — a structured meal with readings, songs and four cups of wine.
- The Four Questions — asked by the youngest at the table, beginning 'Why is this night different?'
- Removing chametz — cleaning the house and burning the last leavened bread on the morning before.
- Birkat Kohanim — the priestly blessing at the Western Wall during the intermediate days.
Food
The table, widened
- Matzah, unleavened bread, eaten through the week in place of bread.
- The Seder plate — bitter herbs, charoset, a roasted bone, egg and greens — with matzah-ball soup in many homes.
Music
Sound of the crowd
Seder songs like 'Dayenu' and 'Chad Gadya' are sung loudly and often with family variations. Melodies differ between Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi homes.
Religion
Why this date
Passover is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of the Torah. It celebrates freedom and God's deliverance, and is a reminder to remember the stranger and the oppressed. The first and last days are full holy days on which work is avoided.
History
How it survived
In Temple times, pilgrims came to Jerusalem to offer the Passover sacrifice. After the Temple's destruction in 70 CE, the home Seder took over as the centre of the festival, and the Haggadah developed over the following centuries.
History
How it got here
In Temple times, pilgrims came to Jerusalem to offer the Passover sacrifice. After the Temple's destruction in 70 CE, the home Seder took over as the centre of the festival, and the Haggadah developed over the following centuries.
Biblical
The Exodus
The Torah describes the departure from Egypt and commands its remembrance.
70 CE
Temple destroyed
Observance moves from the Temple to the home table.
Medieval
The Haggadah
Illuminated Haggadot are produced in Spain, Italy and Germany.
Today
A global Seder
Families worldwide hold Seders on the first night.
Travel & practical
Visiting Jerusalem for Passover
Getting there
Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) is about 50 minutes from Jerusalem by road or train.
What to expect
Some restaurants close or serve kosher-for-Passover menus; bread is hard to find in Jewish neighbourhoods.
Practical notes
Public transport stops for the first and last days. Check the current travel advice before you travel.
Plan the trip with free AltFTool tools
FAQ
Passover: common questions
Straight answers to what people ask most about Passover.
When is Passover in 2026 and 2027?
Passover 2026 began at sundown on 1 April and ended on 8 April in Israel (9 April elsewhere). Passover 2027 begins at sundown on 21 April and ends on 28 April in Israel, or 29 April in the diaspora.
Why seven days in Israel and eight elsewhere?
Outside Israel an extra day was historically added because of uncertainty over the calendar, and many communities keep it.
What is matzah?
Flat unleavened bread, recalling the Israelites leaving Egypt too quickly for their bread to rise.
Can non-Jewish guests attend a Seder?
Yes, and many families welcome guests. Some communities also run public Seders for visitors.
Also in April 2027
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