The Festival of Unleavened Bread

The Festival of Unleavened Bread (Matzoh) is one of the seven Samaritan festivals and is celebrated on the seventh day after the Passover sacrifice. During the interim six days, unleavened bread is made and Samaritans visit one another in a festive manner on Mt. Gerizim.

On the seventh day after the Passover sacrifice, the Festival of Unleavened Bread is celebrated. This is the first pilgrimage festival of the New Year. The prayers begin one hour after midnight in the Kiryat Luza synagogue on Mt. Gerizim. Around 4:00 AM, the congregation departs from the synagogue chanting and makes the pilgrimage to the holy sites on Mt. Gerizim where they move through seven stations (all specifically mentioned in the Samaritan Torah) including: the Altar of Adam and his son Seth; the site where Abraham saw the ram in the thicket when he was about to sacrifice Isaac; and the Altar of Isaac. The final station is the Everlasting Hill. Toward the end of the processional, women and children join the worshippers. At the conclusion of the processional, a festive meal is held.