The day before Pesach, Erev Pesach, (Friday, April 6, 2012), is the fast of the firstborn, commemorating the fact that the firstborn Jewish males in Mitzrayim were “passed over” (spared) during the final plague while the first-born sons of the Egyptians were killed.

It has been a custom for many centuries that the fast day is broken by a Seudat Mitzvah, a festive meal in celebration of a Mitzvah, such as a Siyum—(a celebration marking the conclusion of the study of a book of the Talmud). The Siyum usually takes place in the Synagogue after the Shacharit (morning) prayers, following which participating firstborn males are permitted to break their fast.