Purim

Purim is a Jewish feast that commemorates the miraculous salvation of the Jews when Queen Esther went before King Ahasuerus uninvited to plead for mercy for her people.

Haman, the king's advisor, had plotted to kill all of the Jews, not knowing that the new queen was in fact a Jewess. After learning of Haman's plans from her uncle Mordecai, Esther asked the Jews to fast and pray with her for three days and nights before she went to seek mercy. Fast Facts:

1. Esther's Hebrew name: Hadassah ("myrtle tree")
2. Historical Date: 3408 (352 BC)
3. Historical Location: Shushan
4. 2008: Purim is March 20 - March 21, sunset to sunset
5. Date: 14th day of Adar (usually mid-March)
6. Celebrated on the 15th day of Adar in cities that were surrounded by a wall during the time of Joshua (Shushan Purim)
7. Begins at sundown the day before the given date
8. Customs:
   1. Public reading of the Book of Esther (Megillah)
   2. Fasting before and after Purim
   3. Giving gifts of food and drink
   4. Giving to the poor
   5. Feasting
   6. Drinking wine
   7. Wearing masks and costumes
   8. Public celebrating
9. Gragger (noisemaker) used to drown out the sound of Haman's name when it is read as a sign of contempt
10. Children a large focus of the celebration
11. Heated debate over a mitzvah (commandment) to drink wine "until he can no longer distinguish between 'Cursed is Haman' and 'Blessed is Mordecai'"
    1. Some take the commandment literally and believe they are to become drunk
    2. Others believe one should only drink a little more than usual

Categories