April 19-25: Feast of Unleavened Bread.

"A description of the story of Pesach and a brief overview of how the holiday is celebrated.
Pesach (Passover) is a Biblical festival that begins on 15 Nisan (in March or April). Pesach is an eight-day holiday that celebrates the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt and freedom from oppression in modern days. "

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Now starts the Feast of Unleavened Bread, April 19-25, 2011 
Did the New Testament Church continue celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

1 Corinthians 5:8
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth [emphasis added throughout].

The apostle Paul commanded the Christians in Corinth to continue celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The New Testament also mentions the Feast of Unleavened Bread several other times, often in conjunction with Passover (Luke 2:41-43; 22:1; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12; Acts 20:6). Since Unleavened Bread was celebrated immediately after the Passover, the entire period was loosely known by either name.

What is physical leaven?
Essentially, leaven is a substance that can make food (like bread) rise. Leaven includes yeast, a biological leavening agent that produces fermentation, and chemical leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and potassium bicarbonate. Leavened items typically include such things as bread, cake, crackers, cookies, prepared cereals and some pies that contain leavening.
More at: http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-plan/feast-unleavened-bread-our-part-gods-master-plan.htm
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What instruction did Paul give Christians in regard to this festival?

"Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8).
Paul did not treat these festivals as outdated Jewish traditions. He considered them essential observances for God's called and chosen people in all ages and cultures. He understood their relationship to Christ's role in God's master plan.
Paul commanded the Corinthian Christians—mostly gentiles (non-Israelites)—to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. His instructions show that Christians from non-Jewish communities and cultures kept the Days of Unleavened Bread. Setting an example for all Christians today, these Jews and non-Jews observed these days in accordance with God's laws.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the second of God's annual festivals, represents the second step in God's plan for our redemption. Its main focus is on Christ as our Deliverer, our Savior. Therefore it is a thoroughly Christian festival.

Did Paul explain the spiritual lesson behind our observance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

"Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7).
One purpose for the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to remind us that, after we accept Christ's sacrifice at the time of baptism, we must allow God's Spirit to help us grow up into Christ spiritually (Ephesians 4:15; compare Galatians 2:20). Leavened bread represents the wrong motives (malice) and sin (wickedness) that may still reside in our thinking. Unleavened bread represents having our hearts filled with sincere motives—an eagerness to apply the pure truth revealed in God's Word.
Jesus earlier made the same point to His disciples. He told them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy" (Luke 12:1). He also compared leaven to the false doctrines taught by many of the religious leaders of the day (Matthew 16:6-12). They, like many false teachers today, substituted their own ideas and traditions for God's commandments (Matthew 15:3-9).
More at: http://www.beyondtoday.tv/bsc/12/unleavenedbread.htm
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Symbolic uses of leavening


This leavening agent permeates every part of the dough until the entire batch is leavened.

"Jesus uses leavening as a symbol of false teachings. Notice what He said to His disciples: "Then Jesus said to them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees...How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees'" (Matthew 16:6, 11). In the New Testament leavening is used as a symbol of human pride and false religious teachings that are a result of human pride."
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More than 20 years after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament we find described in the texts of the New Testament that the church still kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Act 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
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"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. – Galatians 3:26-29 (NAS)
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same LORD is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him. – Romans 10:12 (NAS)"
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