PURIM
The Book of Esther
There are many unique aspects to the biblical book that tells the Purim story.
Purim 2024
What is Purim?
Jewish communities around the world celebrate Purim as a holiday of feasting and gladness, gift-giving and tzedakah (charity), revelry and imbibing. It is one of the most popular Jewish holidays for families and children. The celebration of Purim is based on the story found in the biblical Book of Esther. A tractate of the Mishnah (and hence the Talmud) is devoted to it as well. Purim is a time when Jewish communities, like the community in the Book of Esther, become particularly aware of the fragility and even the danger of living in the Diaspora, as a people “scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples”
What to Do on Purim
There are several common practices on Purim:
- We give gifts to poor people.
- We read the megillah, the Purim story.
- We eat a festive meal, or seudah.
- We give food gifts, called mishloah manot, to our friends.
- We eat hamantaschen, triangle-shaped cookies named for the villainous Haman. Learn how to make them in this video or find recipes for many different varieties (and other Purim food) on our food blog, The Nosher.
Other Purim Activities
Many people dress up in costume, following the theme of Purim as a holiday of disguise where nothing is quite as it seems. Synagogues and communities hold plays and festivals specifically for the day. Traditionally, a noisemaker or gragger is sounded when Haman’s name is said aloud during the megillah reading; today some people have instituted a new practice of waving a celebratory flag when Esther’s name is recited.
