Spring has sprung on the East Coast and with it comes Passover for Jewish people, Easter for the Christians, and Ramadan for the Muslims. Keep reading to discover when and where celebrations are happening in the North Shore this year for each one.
Passover
In 2023, Passover is being celebrated from April 5 to April 13. Passover commemorates the anniversary of the Jewish people’s exodus from Egyptian slavery.
Seder is held at the beginning of Passover.
“The Seder is the traditional Passover meal that includes reading, drinking four cups of wine, telling stories, eating special foods, singing, and other Passover traditions,” chabad.org said.
While Seder has passed, Passover is still celebrated for the next eight days, and the memorial prayer Yizkor is recited on the final day.
“When we recite Yizkor, we renew and strengthen the connection between us and our loved one, bringing merit to the departed souls, elevating them in their celestial homes,” chabad.org said.
At Marblehead’s Temple Emanu-El, Yizkor will be recited April 12 at the 10:30 a.m. service with Rabbi David Meyer.
Peabody’s Temple Ner Tamid will recite Yizkor on April 13 at the 9:00 a.m. service. Swampscott’s Congregation Shirat Hayam is reciting Yizkor on April 13 as well.
This weekend is also Chol Hamoed for the Jewish community.
“Chol Hamoed (literally, ‘the weekday of the holiday’) refers to the ‘intermediate period’ of the festivals of Passover and Sukkot,” chabad.org said. “They are the days sandwiched between the beginning and ending holy days of both festivals.”
Sukkot is a seven-day celebration commemorating God’s sheltering of ancestors “as they traveled from Egypt to the Promised Land,” according to chabad.org.
Easter
Easter falls on April 9 this year. Easter is a Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified by the Romans.
“The holiday concludes the ‘Passion of Christ,’ a series of events and holidays that begins with Lent — a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and sacrifice — and ends with Holy Week, which includes Holy Thursday (the celebration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his 12 Apostles, also known as ‘Maundy Thursday’), Good Friday (on which Jesus’ crucifixion is observed) and Easter Sunday,” history.com said.
Everything from Sunday services to easter egg hunts are being held in the North Shore.
On Friday, Lynn’s St. Mary of the Sacred Heart Parish held a reenactment of the Living Stations of the Cross, where it portrayed the persecution of Jesus around the Lynn Common.
In Swampscott, the Recreation Department is having an egg hunt on Town Hall’s lawn. It starts at 12 p.m. and participants are asked to bring their own baskets. There will also be an Easter bunny to take pictures with.
There will also be an egg hunt with an Easter bunny in Lynn on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 678 Lynnfield Street.
Lynnfield High School Interact club is hosting its egg hunt Saturday on the Town Common from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Kids under 10 are allowed to participate.
The egg hunt in Saugus is also on Saturday from 1 p.m to 2:30 p.m at Veterans Memorial School on Hurd Ave.
Marblehead’s egg hunt is on Sunday at 1:30 at Seaside Park.
Ramadan
Ramadan is an Islamic sacred month, during which Muslims must abstain from eating or drinking during the day. It commemorates the revelation of the Qur’an, the holy book that Muslims believe is the Word of God, to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.
Islam follows a lunar calendar, which means Ramadan occurs during a different time each year. Each year it begins roughly ten days earlier than in the previous year. This year, it began in the evening of March 22, as in Islam days begin when the sun sets. That means Ramadan overlaps with Passover and Easter this year.
During the month, most Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, although some wait slightly longer until the sky is fully dark.
“Sawm is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and the Arabic word for ‘fasting,’” muslimaid.org said. “It is traditional to break the fast by eating dates, a proven healthy snack, before Iftar (evening meal), which is normally eaten with friends and family.”
Laylat al-Qadr, the specific date on which the revelation began, is considered especially sacred. Laylat al-Qadr can be translated into English from Arabic in various ways, some of the most common of which are the Night of Power and the Night of Destiny. The actual date the revelation began is unknown, but a consensus exists that it was an odd-numbered day in the last ten days of Ramadan. As a result, the final ten months of the day hold an even greater significance for Muslims.
The Islamic Society of the North Shore in Lynn is having nightly Taraweeh prayers after the Isha prayers, which start at 8:30 p.m.
Eid al-Fitr is the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” that follows the month of Ramadan once the crescent moon is seen, signaling the beginning of the next month Shawwal. This year, it is expected to be celebrated on April 21 or April 22.
“It is a time for great feasts, the giving of gifts to children and spending time with those dearest to you,” muslimaid.org said.
