Welcome to our special LAST DAYS OF PASSOVER issue.
a)
The Biblical Festival of the 7TH (+8TH) DAY OF PASSOVER begins on Shabbat at sunset, April 2, and ends with the close of Shabbat in Israel, but not till Sunday night outside of Israel. Sunday.
b) The 7th day of Pesach is a full-fledged Torah holiday. It celebrates the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea and our crossing on dry land (see articles #1-3).
c) The Eighth Day of Pesach is celebrated only outside of Israel. It's theme is the Final Redemption and Moshiach, as is explicitly discussed in the Haftorah reading of the day — see article #4.
d) From the 2nd night of Pesach through the night before Shavuot seven weeks later we "Count the Omer" - also a biblically mandated commandment (see #5-6).
e) We also held over the Annual Tree blessing from last week's home page — a nice family activity during the weekdays of the festival, if you haven't recited it yet.
Sefirah
f) Finally, the story (#7) connects the day before the entire Festival to the day after.