A curious celebration on a calendar full of serious rituals, Purim stands apart from most Jewish holidays.
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Millions of Jews have been celebrating Purim for centuries. When many non-Jews think of the religion, conspicuously traditional outfits and spartan dietary restrictions may come to mind. And it's true that observant Jews tend to abandon parties in favor of prayer during most holy days.
But Purim is an exception! From outrageous costumes to plenty of wine and cookies, Purim is a time when Jews of all traditions take a break from the seriousness that’s often the focus of Jewish holidays.
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What’s the Story of Purim?
Jewish holidays follow the Jewish calendar, so Purim occurs annually on the 14th of Adar, typically lining up with a date in February or March. The holiday celebrates the triumph of Esther and Mordechai as told in the biblical Book of Esther. Blending history with legend, that book begins around 360 BCE during the reign of King Ahasuerus over the Persian Empire, which stretched from Ethiopia to India. He ruled from the capital of Shushan.
After Queen Vashti refused to dance naked for the king’s friends during a banquet, Ahasuerus sought a new queen, browsing among many candidates before selecting Esther, the eponymous protagonist of the book. As Jews, she and her cousin Mordechai were outsiders, but they had the utmost respect for the king.
Shortly after Esther became queen, Mordechai discovered a plot to kill the king, relaying this discovery to Esther, who then told Ahasuerus. The king thanked Mordechai for his vigilance and hanged the conspirators. But these conspirators aren’t the primary antagonists of the story.
King Ahasuerus was known as Xerxes in Greek, and Khshayarsha in Persian.
Haman, the king’s evil adviser, was a man of great arrogance who insisted that passersby bow to him. Mordechai was among the pedestrians, and he refused to bow because Jews bow only to God. Haman was so cruel and petty that he wanted to kill all Jews as a result of Mordechai’s refusal. Convincing the king that Jews were treacherous invaders, Haman cast lots (or purim!) to decide on what day he’d exterminate the Jews.
Why didn’t Haman simply pick a day? Haman knew that God had always rushed to the Jews’ aid in times of crisis, so he needed a random day around which God wouldn’t be able to plan. In any case, the lots Haman cast came up with the date: the 13th of Adar.
The best and perhaps only way Esther could foil Haman’s despicable plot was by admitting her religion to Ahasuerus, but making this disclosure isn’t so simple in the story. Ahasuerus would punish subjects who entered the throne room uninvited – even the queen. Esther had a lot to lose not only by revealing that she was Jewish but also by violating the king’s edict. Still, she courageously entered the throne room to appeal to the king.
Surprisingly, Ahasuerus was deeply touched by Esther’s confession. Rather than punish her, he instead hanged Haman for his hateful crimes. Ever since, Jews have celebrated the heroism of Esther and Mordechai, as they still do today on Purim.
How Do Jews Commemorate the Story?
Modern Jews celebrate this story of survival and victory over hatred in a variety of ways. For starters, they share it with each other, reading the story aloud from the Megillah, which condenses the Book of Esther into a simpler tale for Jews of all ages. Some congregations also act it out as a play. Both reading and acting are a lot of fun because the story is full of bawdy innuendos and opportunities to adopt silly voices or do goofy things.
A Megillah (Source: Adobe Stock)
Other popular activities include dressing in costumes to reflect the deception of many characters in the story and baking triangular cookies called hamantaschen, yiddish for “Haman’s pockets.” In Israel, Jews call the cookies oznei haman, or “Haman’s ears.” Whatever part of Haman they’re eating, Jews generally consider these cookies a delicacy.
The festivities of Purim may seem incongruous with the usual rituals Jews observe, and this is part of Purim’s purpose. It’s among the few days on the entire Jewish calendar when Jews, especially the Ultra-Orthodox and Chasidim, take a break from the almost uniform seriousness of their religion.
However, there is one particularly serious custom associated with the holiday: tzedakah, which is Hebrew for justice. On Purim, justice is typically linked to charity, so synagogues set up unusually large tzedakah boxes specifically for donations, often to non-Jewish community organizations.
Purim may not be as important to Jews as Yom Kippur or Passover, but it sure is a lot more fun than hours of prayer and fasting on the former, or refraining from leavened foods during the latter. If you celebrate Purim or know someone who does, wish them a chag Purim sameach!
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Title Image: Hamantaschen, via Adobe Stock
