Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn 250px|right|thumb|Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a Passover Seder Plate thumb|200px|Table set for Passover seder The day before Passover (Erev Pesach, lit., "Passover eve") is significant for three reasons: It is the day that all of the involved preparations for Passover, especially elimination of leavened food, or chametz, must be completed. In particular, a formal search for remaining chametz is done during the evening of Erev Pesach, and all remaining chametz is finally destroyed, disposed of or nullified during the morning of Erev Pesach.See the Talmud tractate Pesaḥim in both the Mishnah and Gemara, among many sources. It is the day observed as the Fast of the Firstborn (תענית בכורות). Jews who are firstbornExactly what this means is disputed. See Fast of the Firstborn (Qualifications for fasting). fast, in remembrance of the tenth plague, when God killed the Egyptian firstborn, while sparing the Jewish firstborn.See Masechet Soferim 21:3 and Shulḥan Aruch Oraḥ Ḥayyim 470:1. This fast is overridden by a seudat mitzvah, a meal celebrating the fulfillment of a commandment; accordingly, it is almost universal for firstborn Jews to attend such a meal on this dayThe Halachic authorities say that a meal associated with a Brit milah is for sure a seudat mitzvah for these purposes, and they are debate whether a siyum is enough. Nevertheless, the common practice is to allow for a siyyum, a meal celebrating the conclusion of substantial study of Talmud, and this is what is usually done since there is great flexibility around scheduling such an event. so as to obviate their need to fast. During the era of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Korban Pesach, or sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, was carried out the afternoon of 14 Nisan in anticipation of its consumption on Passover night.
Eve of Passover and Fast of the Firstborn 250px|right|thumb|Traditional arrangement of symbolic foods on a Passover Seder Plate thumb|200px|Table set for Passover seder The day before Passover (Erev Pesach lit "Passover eve") is significant for three reasons It is the day that all of the involved preparations for Passover especially elimination of leavened food or chametz must be completed In particular a formal search for remaining chametz is done during the evening of Erev Pesach and all remaining chametz is finally destroyed disposed of or nullified during the morning of Erev PesachSee the Talmud tractate Pesaḥim in both the Mishnah and Gemara among many sources It is the day observed as the Fast of the Firstborn (תענית בכורות) Jews who are firstbornExactly what this means is disputed See Fast of the Firstborn (Qualifications for fasting) fast in remembrance of the tenth plague when God killed the Egyptian firstborn while sparing the Jewish firstbornSee Masechet Soferim 213 and Shulḥan Aruch Oraḥ Ḥayyim 4701 This fast is overridden by a seudat mitzvah a meal celebrating the fulfillment of a commandment; accordingly it is almost universal for firstborn Jews to attend such a meal on this dayThe Halachic authorities say that a meal associated with a Brit milah is for sure a seudat mitzvah for these purposes and they are debate whether a siyum is enough Nevertheless the common practice is to allow for a siyyum a meal celebrating the conclusion of substantial study of Talmud and this is what is usually done since there is great flexibility around scheduling such an event so as to obviate their need to fast During the era of the Temple in Jerusalem the Korban Pesach or sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb was carried out the afternoon of 14 Nisan in anticipation of its consumption on Passover night