Many translators will render the feast with the more specific “the Festival of the Passover” (see Good News Translation).

Was accustomed to may be expressed as “was in the habit of” (Good News Translation) or in a clause such as “it was the governor’s custom.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .