Purim - פּוּרִים – is celebrated on March 15th, 2014 14th of Adar 5774.
In the Jewish lunar calendar, we find ourselves in the middle of the month of Adar (corresponding with February/March). Adar is considered the happiest, most joyous months of the Hebrew calendar. Most of this joy comes from the celebration of the holiday of Purim on the 14th day of this month.
The story of Purim is written in the Scroll of Esther. It tells the story of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire and how they escaped a great massacre at the hands of the evil Haman. Purim is the only Jewish holiday that focuses on the talents, courage, and dedication of a woman. The story begins when Queen Vashti is banished for refusing to entertain the king’s guests, and Esther is chosen in a beauty contest to be the new queen. Haman, the evil courtier, gets promoted to grand vizier, but Mordechai, Esther’s uncle, refuses to bow down to him. Haman decides to take revenge on Mordechai and on all the Jews. He convinces the foolish King Ahashverosh (presumed to be Xerxes I of Persia) to call for the massacre of all the Jews throughout the kingdom. Mordechai and Esther devise a plan to foil Haman’s evil plot. Haman is hanged, and the Jews are saved.
We celebrate Purim with four customs:
1. To read or listen to the Purim story from the Scroll of Esther, (the Megillah). Whenever Haman name is mentioned people shake noisemakers (groggers) to express their dislike.
2. We exchange reciprocal gifts of food and drink with friends and neighbors (mishloach manot.)
3. Give to charity and to the needy (matanot la ‘evyonim)
4. Eating a festive meal and celebrating the day (se’udat Purim).
Unlike more serious synagogue occasions, both children and adults often attend the Megillah reading in costume. People dress up in all kinds of costumes and many synagogues and schools will hold carnivals. The tradition of dressing up is based upon the way Esther concealed her Jewish identity at the beginning of the Purim Story.
Traditional food of Purim include delicious triangular cookies called Oznei Haman or Hamantashen (meaning Haman’s ears or Haman’s pockets). They are traditionally filled with sweet poppy seed or prune filling. Sephardic Jews make a fried pastry called Fazuelos, and Hungarian Jews make Aranygaluska, a dessert consisting of fried dough balls and vanilla custard.
Happy Purim!
