What is the name of the ritual search for leavened bread before Passover?

The ritual search for leavened bread before Passover is called bedikat chametz.

Bedikat chametz takes place after nightfall on the evening before Passover, traditionally on the 14th of Nisan. Participants search the home or other places where chametz—leavened food forbidden during Passover—might remain. A blessing is recited before the search in customary practice.

The ceremony is often performed by candlelight, with a feather and wooden spoon serving as traditional tools. Many households hide ten small pieces of bread so the search will find something, even after the home has been cleaned. Today, flashlights are also commonly used.

Bedikat chametz is only the searching stage. The found chametz is removed and usually burned the next morning, while a declaration nullifies any overlooked chametz. Havdalah is a ritual marking the end of Shabbat, Tashlich is associated with Rosh Hashanah, and kashrut is the broader body of Jewish dietary law—not names for this Passover search.