Happy Passover | Greetings & Context
There are various ways to wish someone a happy Passover, like “happy Passover” in English or “Chag Pesach Sameach” in Hebrew.
What is Passover?
Passover is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Israelites’ Exodus from slavery in Egypt.
In Jewish tradition, God sent ten plagues to convince the Pharaoh to free the Israelites. During the tenth plague, God sent the Angel of Death to kill all the firstborns in Egypt. Since Moses had previously instructed the Israelites to mark their doors with blood, the angel passed over their homes and spared their children. This is where Passover gets its name.
Passover is celebrated with a Seder, a ceremonial dinner during which Jews retell the Exodus story, eat symbolic foods, sing, light candles, and spend time with family and friends. There are also certain restrictions that Jews observe during Passover.
When is Passover?
Passover is observed from Nisan 15 to Nisan 21 or 22 on the Hebrew calendar. Passover is eight days long for most of the world, while in Israel, it’s seven days.
Because the Hebrew calendar is lunar-based, the dates change each year on the more widely used Gregorian calendar, although they usually correspond to March or April.
Chol HaMoed
Passover begins and ends with special holy days, and the intermediate days are known as “Chol HaMoed” (meaning “mundane of the festival” in English).
These days have fewer restrictions, although Jews are still prohibited from eating “chametz,” or food with leavening, during Chol HaMoed.
When is Passover 2025?
In 2025, Passover will begin at sundown on April 12. It will end on April 19 in Israel or April 20 outside of Israel.
Do you say happy Passover?
Yes, you can say “happy Passover” to wish someone a good Passover. This is a standard greeting in English.
Like the names of other holidays in English (e.g., Easter or Ramadan), the first letter of “Passover” is always capitalized.
We’d like to wish a happy Passover to all our employees who are celebrating.
Pesach meaning
Pesach (פֶּסַח in Hebrew) means “Passover” in Hebrew.
Pesach is pronounced pay-sakh. The second syllable sounds like the name “Bach” or the Scottish word “loch.” The same goes for other places you see a “ch” in these Passover greetings.
Happy Pesach
“Happy Pesach,” which blends English and Hebrew, is another way to wish someone a happy Passover.
They’ve hung a “happy Pesach” sign outside the synagogue in town.
Happy Passover in Hebrew
If you’d like to say happy Passover in full Hebrew, there are a few options you can choose from:
- Chag Pesach Sameach (חַג פֶּסַח שָׂמֵחַ) translates literally as “happy holiday of Passover” from Hebrew, but is commonly used to mean happy Passover.
- Chag Sameach (חַג שָׂמֵחַ) is Hebrew for “happy holiday,” and can be used to wish someone well for Passover and other important Jewish holidays.
- Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach (חַג פֶּסַח כָּשֵׁר וְשָׂמֵחַ) means “have a happy and kosher Passover.” This greeting mentions the kosher dietary laws that Jews follow.
QuillBot’s free Translator can translate phrases from Hebrew to English.
Passover greetings
Here are some other happy Passover greetings, including some in other languages used by Jewish people throughout the world.
| Greeting | Notes |
|---|---|
| I hope you have a meaningful Passover surrounded by family and friends. | |
| Wishing you a joyous and peaceful Passover. | |
| Wishing you a sweet and kosher Pesach. | The idea of a “sweet” Passover comes from greetings used in other languages. |
| May this Passover bring you happiness and prosperity. | |
| Gut Yontif | “Good holiday” in Yiddish |
| A Koshern un Freilichen Pesach | “Have a kosher and happy Passover” in Yiddish |
| A Zissen Pesach | “Have a sweet Passover” in Yiddish |
| Pesach Alegre | “Merry Passover” in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) |
| Moadim L’Simcha / מועדים לשמחה | “Happy holidays” in Hebrew; used by Israelis and Sephardic Jews during Chol HaMoed |
| Gut’n Mo’ed | “Good Chol HaMoed” in Yiddish; used by Ashkenazi Jews during Chol HaMoed |
Frequently asked questions about happy Passover
- What is Chag Pesach Sameach in Hebrew?
-
“Chag Pesach Sameach” is happy Passover in Hebrew.
This phrase translates literally to English as “happy holiday of Passover,” when considering all of its parts:
- “Chag” is “holiday”
- “Pesach” is “Passover”
- “Sameach” is “happy”
QuillBot’s Translator can help you translate phrases like this from Hebrew to English.
- What is a Seder?
-
A Seder is a ceremonial dinner held at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover.
During a Seder, Jewish people eat symbolic foods and retell the story of how the Israelites were liberated from slavery in Egypt.
If you’d like to wish someone a happy Passover, you could also tell them “Have a nice Seder” to wish them well during this special meal.
If sending written messages, make sure you’ve spelled everything correctly with QuillBot’s Grammar Checker.
