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Passover Begins At Sundown

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Southland Jews will celebrate Passover at sundown Monday.

The home-based holiday celebrates what the Old Testament describes as God's deliverance of the Israelites from slavery.

Observant Jews will gather for a feast called a Seder, which features six symbolic foods. The most well-known is matzo, a cracker-like unleavened bread that symbolizes the exodus from ancient Egypt when there was not enough time for the bread to rise.

While Passover rituals vary in different cultures, Jews are traditionally not permitted to eat or possess any foods made with wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats.

Unlike most Jewish holy days, there is no synagogue service for Passover.

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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