Purim
| Purim | |
|---|---|
Purim by Arthur Szyk | |
| Type | Jewish |
| Significance | Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told in the Book of Esther (megillah) |
| Celebrations |
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| Date | 14th day of Adar (in Jerusalem and all ancient walled cities, 15th of Adar) |
| 2024 date | Sunset, 23 March – nightfall, 24 March |
| 2025 date | Sunset, 13 March – nightfall, 14 March |
| 2026 date | Sunset, 2 March – nightfall, 3 March |
| 2027 date | Sunset, 22 March – nightfall, 23 March |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Started by | Esther |
| Related to | Hanukkah, Day of Salvation and Liberation, as a rabbinically decreed Jewish holiday |
| Part of a series on |
| Jews and Judaism |
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Purim (/ˈpʊərɪm/; Hebrew: פּוּרִים ⓘ, lit. 'lots') is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation at the hands of an official of the Achaemenid Empire named Haman, as it is recounted in the Book of Esther (usually dated to the late-5th or 4th centuries BCE).
Haman was the royal vizier to the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I or Artaxerxes I; Khshayarsha and Artakhsher in Old Persian, respectively). His plans were foiled by Mordecai of the tribe of Benjamin, who previously warned the king about an assassination attempt, and Esther, Mordecai's cousin and adopted daughter who had become queen of Persia after her marriage to Ahasuerus. The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing among Jews.
According to the Scroll of Esther, "they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor". Purim is celebrated among Jews by:
- Exchanging gifts of food and drink, known as mishloach manot
- Donating charity to the poor, known as mattanot la-evyonim
- Eating a celebratory meal with alcoholic beverages, known as se'udat Purim or "Mishteh"
- Public recitation of the Scroll of Esther (קריאת מגילת אסתר kriat megillat Esther), or "reading of the Megillah", usually in synagogue
- Reciting additions to the daily prayers and the grace after meals, known as Al HaNissim
- Applying henna (Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews)
Other customs include wearing masks and costumes, public celebrations and parades (Adloyada), eating hamantashen (transl. "Haman's pockets"), and drinking wine.
According to the Hebrew calendar, Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar (and it is celebrated in Adar II in Hebrew leap years, which occur 7 times in every 19 years), the day following the victory of the Jews over their enemies, the 13th of Adar, a date now observed in most years with the fast of Esther.
In cities that were protected by a surrounding wall at the time of Joshua, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month of Adar on what is known as Shushan Purim, since fighting in the walled city of Shushan continued through the 14th day of Adar. Today, only in Jerusalem is Purim observed on the 15th, and in several other biblical settlements (such as Hebron and Shilo) it is celebrated on both dates because of doubts regarding their status as cities surrounded by a wall since the days of Joshua. Some also celebrate both in Prague and Baghdad.