As department stores gear up for the day after Thanksgiving, so the bagel world gears up for today: The day Jews are allowed to eat bread again.

“Business goes down 30% to 40% during Passover,” the president of H&H Bagels, Helmer Toro, said. That’s because Passover commemorates the Exodus, when the Hebrews fled Egypt in such haste that they didn’t have time to let their bread rise. So for eight days, Jews are commanded not to eat anything good — er — leavened. No bagels, no Mrs. Fields cookies, no pizza — except for matzo pizza, a sorry slab that always conjures up Machu Picchu (at least to me).

Starting last night, however, Passover officially ended at sunset, and the bagel biz was set to rise.

“I’ve been daydreaming about which bagel shop will I hit,” the founder of shoshannasmatches.com, Shoshanna Rikon, said.

Father of two Steve Turner was just as desperate. “If I eat another piece of matzo, I’ll need a matzooscopy,” he said.

“Customers always seem to be ecstatic after Passover,” a Zabar’s manager, Scott Goldshine, noted — but not just because it’s over. “They want to see what we have left.” Whatever matzo and macaroons he’s got go on sale, just like the chocolate Easter bunnies left lonely on the shelves of Duane Reade. For bargain hunters, Mr. Goldshine said, “Passover lasts another month and a half.”

Although most pizza parlor owners probably don’t realize it, Jews were hitting their establishments in record numbers last night, too. In fact, pizza parties have become to Passover what bachelor parties are to weddings (just in reverse order — and no strippers).

“I’m actually sad to see Passover go,” a TV graphics guy buying bagels for his family, Russell Dunn, said. “Bread is no big deal to give up for a week when it means we don’t have to be slaves.”

Profound. A Hartford publicist, Ron Dresner, was sad to see the holiday end, too. “My wife said, ‘Tonight is pasta night!’ and I just was silent.” That’s because he uses Passover to get back on Atkins.

Maybe a little less profound.

Like most of us, Mr. Dresner knows he will soon succumb to the lure of pizza and bagels. Bakers across the country are counting on it — even the ones in California where, apparently, the Noah’s Bagels chain has introduced a Dutch apple crunch bagel.

An apple pie bagel? What could be more revolting?

Oh, wait. I remember.

Matzo pizza.