Unique Passover Traditions

By I. Carmon

Did you know Afghan Jews whip each other with scallions during the ceremonial Passover meal, known as the seder? And that's not all! Every spring, Jews celebrate Passover, marking God sparing the Israelites and delivering them from slavery in Egypt, as detailed in the book of Exodus. For seven days Jews abstain from leavened bread to mimic the deprivation of their forefathers as they left Egypt through the Sinai desert.

The scattering of the Jews around the world over the past 2,000 years, to nearly every continent, has meant that these traditions have evolved and been adapted to different settings. Here are some of the most unique Passover traditions from around the world.

Unique Passover Traditions: Eating the Dust of Real Bricks...

Telling the Exodus Story in Costume

In many Sephardic traditions, (a term used to describe Jews originally hailing from the Iberian peninsula and North Africa), an elder member of the family enacts a skit in costume, posing as an ancient Jew who experienced the exodus from Egypt and describing the miracles he saw. In the countries of the Caucasus region, Iraq, Kurdistan, Yemen, and others, the seder (usually the head of household), would put the afikoman matzah in a bag, throw it over his shoulder, and use a cane to support himself. Sometimes a child participated, and there was a call and response with the table: "Where are you coming from?" "Egypt," was the reply, followed by the story of the Israelites following Moses out of slavery. "And where are you going?" someone at the table would ask. "Jerusalem!"