Passover, Its Themes and Merch on Demand Possibilities

Beginning on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nissan, or April 5–13, 2023 on the common calendar, the Jewish holiday of Passover is observed. The eight-day annual holiday (also known as Pesach) honors the mythology surrounding the release of the ancient Hebrews from slavery in prehistoric Egypt. A key feature of this is for adherents to avoid any leavening while observing Pesach, which is celebrated with the Seder feasts that feature four cups of wine, matzah, bitter herbs, and the recitation of the Exodus story.

PESACH

The name “Pesach” is a Hebrew word which means “to pass over,” since it is held that on the first Passover eve, whilst slaying the Egyptian firstborn children, the god of Abraham spared only the Jewish households. According to the Bible, their god saw the Israelites’ distress after many years of servitude to the Egyptian pharaohs, during which time it is said they were forced to endure unbearable horrors and backbreaking labor. He sent Moses to the king of Egypt with the request, “Send forth My people, that they may serve Me.” But despite many warnings, Pharaoh disobeyed this order. Then, their deity visited Egypt with nine terrible plagues that devastated everything, from their crops to their herds.

In the last part of the legend, the Egyptians were hit with the tenth of these plagues, which resulted in the death of all their firstborn, at the stroke of midnight on 15 Nissan in the year 2448 from creation (1313 BCE). This fate was “passed over” the homes of the children of Israel while doing this, giving rise to the holiday’s name. As the Egyptian king’s resistance was crushed, he effectively drove his former slaves out of the country. The Israelites were said to be in such a rush to go that the bread they cooked for the journey never had a chance to rise (thus no leavening is used today for this).

PRAYERS AND THE DAYS OF PASSOVER

Both the first and last two days—the latter honoring the Red Sea’s division—are official holidays. Holiday kiddush (a “blessing” or “prayer”) are recited and holiday feasts are eaten both during the day and at night, when special candles are lit. While the strictest of followers of this religion do not drive, write, go to work, nor turn on or off electronic equipment during these days, the middle four days are known as Chol Hamoed, or “intermediate days,” which are semi-festive and allow for most types of employment.

As we mentioned previously, the yeast-free breads of this time are a vital component of these celebrations. They eat matzah, which is flat unleavened bread. On the two Seder evenings, eating matzah is required by tradition; otherwise, it is optional for the rest of the festival. And the Seder, observed on each of the first two evenings of the holiday, is the pinnacle of Passover. The Seder is a multi-ritualized, fifteen-step family tradition.

But despite the serious matter of the legend, this is considered a time also to celebrate. In that spirit, there are a bounty of ways that we, as merch creators, can engage with those who celebrate this event and bring a bit of levity into the mix. And to give you some examples of what we’re talking about, we offer the following as popular examples.

Passover Afikoman Search Squad T-Shirt

For someone not familiar with this term, it might need explaining. The term “afikoman” means “that which comes after” or “dessert,” is now almost exclusively associated with the half-piece of matzo that is split during the early stages of the Passover Seder and set aside to be eaten.

The Passover sacrifice, which was the final course consumed during the Passover feast throughout the First and Second Temple eras, is replaced by the afikoman. According to the Torah, it is forbidden to eat anything else after the afikoman in order to preserve the participants’ ability to taste the matzah that was consumed after the meal. Today, participants now eat the afikomen to conclude the Passover.

While there are many different traditions surrounding the afikoman, they all generally serve the same aim of keeping kids engaged throughout the Seder until the afikoman is consumed. According to Ashkenazi tradition, the head of the home may hide the afikoman for the kids to find it, or else the kids may steal the afikoman and demand a ransom. Not all traditions adhere to this, but for those that do, this is a very funny shirt, indeed.

Three Frogs Dayenu

This one may be a bit on the “iffy” side, but as long as a product is not insulting, sometimes controversy sells. The song “Dayenu” also needs some explaining; it translates to “It Would Have Been Enough,” and is usually sung while the Exodus narrative is being retold at the Passover Seder. Each of the song’s stanzas ends with the word Dayenu, which means “it would have been enough,” and lists a succession of favors that their god showed the Jewish people both during and after the Exodus. Stanzas which express the sentiments of “We would have been satisfied if He had simply carried us out of Egypt without passing judgment on the other people”, “For us, it would have sufficed if He had passed judgment only on them and not on their idols,” and “We would have been satisfied if He had simply given us the Sabbath” are common throughout the song.

This take on it goes a bit further, having a trio of frogs from one of the great plagues singing along with the sentiments. Overall, it is a fine song which shows the humble qualities of the people singing it, being thankful for what they have and understanding they have much more. It’s a good way of looking at things, and perhaps the message here should be so universal that even the animals are singing it!

Passover 4 steps Pullover Hoodie

Sometimes, it’s the simple ideas that say it all. And for a potential multi-day event, there will be a lot of the first three things on this list. Everyone in the family could share this sentiment and indeed they are all probably experiencing it! This 80% cotton, 20% polyester blend contains imported materials and is machine washable. It’s a great way to express your gratitude for the Passover cleaning team. It sports a classic fit with a twill-taped neck.

Happy Passover Shirt – Cute Joyful Seder Feast T-shirt

Do you cherish the Bible? Do you have Exodus open? The Haggadic should be read at the Seder table while enjoying matzah and bitter herbs. This happy dancing matzah shirt is a delightful Passover-themed item for boys, girls, youngsters, and toddlers. It comes in five colors and many sizes. 100% cotton for solid hues, it is lightweight with a traditional fit and a double-needle bottom hem.