Passover

A Jewish festival of eight days that celebrates the events leading to the Jewish Exodus from Egypt. According to the accounts of the Book of Exodus, a lamb was sacrificed by each household. Its blood was sprinkled on the lintel and door posts so that the Lord would pass over houses which bore these markings when the first-born in Egypt were slain. Jewish families customarily celebrate a meal on the first night of Passover. There exists a relationship between the origins of this meal and the eucharist, which was instituted during the period of the Passover celebration. The celebration of Easter continues to be dated by the Passover feast. Both are tied to a lunar calendar which has agricultural connotations. Some scholars believe that there is a linkage between the spring agricultural festivals and the Passover. See Easter Vigil.