Passover is celebrated by Jews every year, commemorating the anniversary of the miraculous Exodus from Egyptian slavery as told in the Bible.

Pesach (Passover) 2026 is from April 1 to April 9, 2026.

According to the Book of Exodus, God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to slaughter a lamb and mark their doorframes with its blood, in addition to instructions for consuming the lamb that night. For that night, God would bring about the tenth plague, in which God would smite all the firstborn in Egypt. But when God saw the blood on the Israelites’ doorframes, God would pass over their homes so that the plague should not enter (hence the name). The story is part of the broader Exodus narrative, in which the Israelites, while living in Egypt, are enslaved en masse by the Pharaoh to suppress them; when Pharaoh refuses God’s demand to let them go, God sends ten plagues upon Egypt. After the tenth plague, Pharaoh permits the Israelites to leave.

Scholars widely believe that the origins of Passover predate the biblical Exodus, with theories suggesting it evolved from earlier semi-nomadic or pre-Israelite rituals and was later transformed through religious and cultic traditions. Wikipedia

Lest one feels in the shallows regarding this or any other biblical liturgy, there is at this time of year the optional mystery of the Easter bunny and chocolate eggs. During our adventure today to the hinterland of Renfrew County we stopped along the way to secure a modest supply of Ferrero Rocher sweets as an expression of our deeply-rooted spiritual imperative.

The Easter bunny and chocolate eggs originate from ancient pagan fertility traditions symbolizing spring rebirth, later adopted into Christian customs. The rabbit, or “Osterhase” stems from German, “egg-laying” hare legends, while eggs represent new life and the end of Lenten fasting.

Chocolate, a modern addition, solidified in the 19th-20th century.The “Osterhase” was transformed into chocolate by German and American candy makers in the 19th/20th century, cementing its role as a commercial mascot. Idem

Amusingly everyone with whom we chatted today – either by email, by telephone or in the elevator – confessed to having indulged themselves in a sufficient supply of sweets. The addictive element of sugar is indisputable – an affliction spawning unparalleled absorption in rudimentary avarice and governance.

The Easter Bunny (also called the Easter Rabbit or Easter Hare) is a folkloric figure and symbol of Easter, depicted as a rabbit—sometimes dressed with clothes—bringing Easter eggs. Originating among German Lutherans, the “Easter Hare” originally played the role of a judge, evaluating whether children were good or disobedient in behavior at the start of the season of Eastertide, similar to the “naughty or nice” list made by Santa Claus. As part of the legend, the creature carries colored eggs in its basket, as well as candy, and sometimes toys, to the homes of children.

It is no accident that Pesach is notable for story telling as well. The narratives surrounding Nature’s springtime evolution abound in metaphors of one description or another. And as usual in this or any other comparative analysis, the proclamations evolve from similar or identical themes. It is useful to keep this in mind when assessing the influence of religious rituals; namely, that all religions – without exception – suffer the weight of myth and fantasy. These fantastic tales spring from pre-historic times from which the only surviving detail is that of folklore handed down from generation to generation, frequently in the manner of legends and apochrypha. Recall, for example, that children were taught these fundamental features of life by the employment of digestible and memorable stories.

For those who have the distinction of having attended worship service today – Easter Sunday – it will no doubt enable you the better to calculate the meaning of the sermon to consume a relieving bit of chocolate. There is so much about springtime to celebrate unequivocally. While not all the snow has melted and gone, the fields are predominantly amassed by brittle yellow stalks and furrowed parallel rows. Everything appears to await an overnight transformation.