The Jewish Passover (Pesach) falls on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan, on the first full moon following the vernal (spring) equinox. The observance of Passover begins at sunset and continues as the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the next seven days in Israel, and the same for Reform Jews and other progressive Jews around the world. Eight days of Passover will be observed by Orthodox, Hasidic, and Conservative Jews in the Diaspora.
Of course, Passover as prescribed in the Law of Moses cannot be observed because there is no Temple, and thus no priesthood to sanctify a Paschal lamb. Today, Jews around the world celebrate the Passover with a Seder, which is a manmade substitute for the Passover with alamb sacrificed in the Temple and eaten at home as described in the Tanakh.
Many churches and seminaries teach that the Last Supper presided over by Jesus and his disciples in the upper room was a traditional Passover Seder, during which a roasted lamb was eaten during the night, but that is not the case. The New Testament states quite clearly that the Passover in 30 CE, the year of the crucifixion, was observed by the Jewish nation and leadership on the night after the trials and crucifixion of Jesus. You can read the chronology of those events from the chart below:
I wish our Jewish friends of all beliefs a joyful Passover celebration with their family. At thesame time, I pray that many will eventually come to know that Jesus is the Lamb of God, the ultimate Passover who takes away the sins of the world by instituting the New Covenant prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34. If you want to know more about how Jesus became and is the Passover Lamb for Jews today, read our booklet The Messiah Prophecy showing that Jesus is the only person in Jewish history that has met all of the requirements for Messiah set forth in the Tanakh – check availability here.