Obama sends Easter, Passover greetings

President Barack Obama extended Easter and Passover greetings Saturday as Americans celebrated the Christian and Jewish holidays.

Passover began at sundown Friday and ends on April 14. It commemorates the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt, receipt of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and eventual journey into the Promised Land.

At a festive dinner called a Seder, unleavened bread is consumed during the seven-day holiday to re-live the hasty flight from Egypt, during which there was no time to allow the bread to rise.

The Gospels say Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion and burial on the morning of what has become known as Easter Sunday — the most important day of the year for Christians.

Obama, a Christian who attends church regularly with his family, has faced slurs in the past from opponents who painted him as un-American and even a “closet Muslim” — his middle name is Hussein.

Saying the core values at the heart of Easter and Passover “help unite Americans of all faiths and backgrounds,” Obama wishes all Americans “a weekend filled with joy and reflection, focused on the things that matter most.”