Purim - The Jewish Holiday

In the book of Esther in the Bible the story is told of the ancient Persian King and his advisor Haman who devised a plan to annihilate all the Jews from Persia. The Jews were saved by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai. During the biblical time between the destruction of the first temple and the building of the second temple in the Persian city of Shushan, the Persian King, Ahasuerus, became angry with his Queen, Vashti, because she disobeyed him and refused to appear before his guests. Ahasuerus decided to find a new Queen and among hundreds of women who tried to win his affections God allowed Esther, a Jewish servant of God and the cousin of Mordechai, to be chosen as the new Persian Queen. When Ahasuerus' Prime Minister and advisor, Hamon, issued a decree to kill all the Jews Mordechai pleaded with Esther to speak with King Ahasuerus and ask him to spare the Jews. Esther knew that if she appeared before the king without being summoned and revealed her true identity as a Jew she may very well be killed. Nonetheless, Esther prayed and went before her king to reveal her Jewish identity and plead for the lives of all the Jews of Persia. The king was so outraged at Haman that he ordered Haman and all his sons be killed. Mordecai was not only a cousin to Esther but also a palace official who subsequently took Haman's place as advisor to the Persian King. The Jews were saved once again and given yet another reason to celebrate!

Purim is Hebrew for "lots" and the named for Hamon's plan to draw lots for which Jews he would kill first and on what dates as referenced in Esther 3:7. Jews are commanded to give to charity on Purim and to give gifts of food to friends and loved ones on this day. Some Rabbis have been known to command adults to get drunk on the Holiday of Purim.

Purim will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5769: sunset March 9, 2009 - nightfall March 10, 2009
Jewish Year 5770: sunset February 27, 2010 - nightfall February 28, 2010
Jewish Year 5771: sunset March 19, 2011 - nightfall March 20, 2011
Jewish Year 5772: sunset March 7, 2012 - nightfall March 8, 2012
Jewish Year 5773: sunset February 23, 2013 - nightfall February 24, 2013

During the Purim celebration the biblical story is read aloud in the synagogue and whenever the name of Haman is mentioned the people shout, stamp their feet, and use noise makers to drown out his evil name. Purim is a favorite Jewish holiday for the children because of the use of costumes, noise makers, carnivals, plays, parades, and festival meals. Since the concept of hidden identity plays an important role in the story of Esther, the symbolism of dressing in costumes has become an important part of the Purim celebration. The most popular Purim religious costumes include Queen Esther and Mordecai but also include King David, Athena, Haman, Roman Soldier, Gladiator, Shepherd, and Wiseman.