Getting ready for Pesach:

1. Begin the house cleaning process. Inspect and rid your home of any traces of chometz. Be on the lookout for crumbs of all sorts, hidden stashes of biscuits, fermented drinks (nearly all are made with grain), etc. Make a list of all the rooms in your house, and cross off each one as you complete it.

2. Set aside a special space or spaces to stash the chometz you will be selling for the duration of Pesach (see next item). This can be a closet, a cabinet in the kitchen or any room, as long as it can be sealed for all of Passover.

3. Arrange for the selling of your chometz. Sell your chometz online through Bushey Chabad by clicking here.

4. Buy the Passover essentials: purchase your matzah and wine in advance, and store it in a place where it is safe from any contact with any chometz.
   

A few days before Pesach:

1. Begin work on making your kitchen “Kosher for Passover.” Put away all utensils that have been used year round, and lock or seal those cabinets. Put away all non-kosher-for-Passover food, and seal those cabinets. Once your kitchen is completely clean, do the special procedure to kosher your kitchen and appliances for Passover.
   (Now that your kitchen is clean and all your non-kosher-for-Passover food put away, you will only be able to prepare and eat kosher-for-Passover foods there. If you’re not ready to start eating only kosher-for-Passover food yet, you can buy ready-prepared food and eat it outside of the house, or in a place that will be “sold” for the duration of Passover.)

2. Take stock of your Passover inventory. Take out any special-for-Passover dishes from where they are stored. Polish any silver. Make sure you have Haggadahs for the Seder.

3. Do your Passover shopping. Buy the Seder ingredients, plus general food for Passover. Store these in your newly cleaned refrigerator and cabinets—empty, of course, of any non-Passover food.

Tuesday Evening - 4 april / 13 nissan
(2 days before Pesach):

Do the ritual search for chometz. Take a candle or torch, and search the house for any remaining or forgotten chometz.

wednesday morning - 5 april / 14 Nissan:

1. BEORE 10:50 AM: NO MORE CHOMETZ MAY BE EATEN AFTER 10:50.

2. BEFORE 11:57 AM: BEFORE 11:57 AM burn any leftover Chometz that is not being sold, including anything that was found Thursday night at the Search for the Chometz. Recite the “nullification statement,” renouncing all ownership of any chometz that may still remain in your possession. By this time, all Chometz must have been sold, and cabinets and areas containing Chometz should be sealed.

3. Since Shabbat occurs immediately following the festival, an "eruv tavshilin" is prepared prior to the festival, so that it should be permitted to prepare food for Shabbat during the festival.

wednesday Afternoon:

Prepare for the Seder. Ready the items for the Seder plate.

Candle lighting 7:23pm: Light Festival candles at 7:23pm in Bushey.

wednesday EVENING:

Some have the custom to include the special addition of the Hallel prayer in the evening festival services.

Hold the first Passover Seder. Follow the 15 steps, recite the Haggadah, tell and relive the story of the Exodus, and enjoy the matzah, wine, and bitter herbs.

Thursday morning - 6 april / 15 nissan:

Prayer services (including a special prayer for dew) and Torah Reading.

Thursday night:

The Omer Count begins tonight, and continues for the next 49 days until the festival of Shavuot.

Tonight begins a second day of Yom Tov (outside the Holy Land).

Candle lighting after 8:34pm: Light the festival candles from a pre-existing flame (as it is forbidden to create a new flame on Yom Tov) after nightfall, 8:34pm in Bushey.

Hold the second Passover Seder. Follow the 15 steps, recite the Haggadah, tell and relive the story of the Exodus, and enjoy the matzah, wine, and bitter herbs.

Friday 7 april / 16 nissan:

Today is the second festival day; special Passover prayers and Torah reading.

friday night:

Tonight begin the four "intermediate days" of Passover. Celebrate the intermediate days with matzah, kosher-for-Passover cooking, family trips and more retelling of the Exodus story. It's still Passover, so we don't eat, own, or derive enjoyment from Chometz, but most activities prohibited the first and last two days are permitted, except on Shabbat, when regular Shabbat observances are kept. We also add special passages to our prayers: Hallel, Yaaleh Veyavo, and Musaf.

Shabbat Candle Lighting: 7:26pm in Bushey

Shabbat Ends: 8:38pm in Bushey

tuesday evening 11 april / 20 nissan:

Tonight begins the final two festival days of Passover.

Candle lighting 7:33pm: Light Festival candles at 7:33pm in Bushey, and enjoy festive meals Tuesday night, Wednesday afternoon, Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon.

Some have the custom to stay awake Tuesday night (the night of the Splitting of the Sea) and study Torah through the night.

Wednesday Afternoon - 12 April / 21 nissan:

Candle lighting after 8:46pm: Light the festival candles from a pre-existing flame (as it is forbidden to create a new flame on Yom Tov) after nightfall, 8:46pm in Bushey.

thursday morning - 13 april / 22 nissan:

Yizkor, the memorial prayer for departed parents, is recited following the reading of the Torah during the morning prayer service.

thursday afternoon:

As the day wanes, spend the final hours of Passover with "Moshiach's Meal" — a special feast in honour of the Redemption. We've spent eight days celebrating the exodus from Egypt. Now, as we leave Passover, we pray for the exodus from our present exile and a brighter tomorrow.

thursday night:

Festival ends 8:48pm: At nightfall 8:48pm in Bushey, the Passover festival comes to an end. Make Havdalah. Put away the Passover dishes, Haggadahs, and all other Passover items, locking them away until next year. Then, ...
You can once again enjoy chometz food and drinks, and feast on pizza, bread, beer — anything kosher. But as you do, don't forget the eight days of freedom you've just experienced, and remember that throughout the year, as you enjoy all your leavened food, you still carry a bit of the Matzah spirit with you!

Next Year In Jerusalem!

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please feel free to contact Rabbi Yosef Sharfstein at Rabbi@Busheychabad.org or 07501 294 873