Celebration of Jewish deliverance as told in the Book of Esther (megillah)
Celebrations
Listening to the Book of Esther in synagogue;
sending food parcels and giving charity;
dressing up in costume;
eating a festive meal;
parties and parades (Adloyada);
drinking alcoholic beverages, especially wine
Date
14th day of Adar (in Jerusalem and all ancient walled cities, 15th of Adar)
2023 date
Sunset, 6 March – nightfall, 7 March
2024 date
Sunset, 23 March – nightfall, 24 March
2025 date
Sunset, 13 March – nightfall, 14 March
2026 date
Sunset, 2 March – nightfall, 3 March
Frequency
Annual
Started by
Esther
Related to
Hanukkah, as a rabbinically decreed Jewish holiday
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Purim (/ˈpʊərɪm/; פּוּרִים Pūrīmⓘ, lit.'lots'; see Name below) 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 5th century BCE).
Haman was the royal vizier to the Persian king Ahasuerus (Xerxes I or Artaxerxes I; Khshayarsha and Artakhsher in Old Persian, respectively).[1][2][3][4] His plans were foiled by Mordecai of the tribe of Benjamin, and Esther, Mordecai's cousin and adopted daughter who had become queen of Persia after her marriage to Ahasuerus.[5] The day of deliverance became a day of feasting and rejoicing among Jews.
According to the Scroll of Esther,[6] "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.[7]
Eating a celebratory meal with alcoholic beverages, known as se'udat Purim or "Mishteh".
Public recitation of the Scroll of Esther (קריאת מגילת אסתר), 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[8][9] (Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews).
Other customs include wearing masks and costumes, public celebrations and parades (Adloyada), eating hamantashen (transl. "Haman's ears"), and drinking wine.[10]
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.[11] Today, only in Jerusalem Purim is 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.
^Ahasuers. 1906. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^Universal Dictionary of the Arts, Sciences, Literature etc. Vol. 9. Edinburgh: John Brown, Anchor Close (Printers). 1816. p. 82. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^Law, George R. (2010). Identification of Darius the Mede. Ready Scribe Press. pp. 94–96. ISBN 978-0982763100. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
^First, Mitchell (2015). Esther Unmasked: Solving Eleven Mysteries of the Jewish Holidays and Liturgy. Kodesh Press. p. 163. ISBN 9780692375426.
^"Esther 2 / Hebrew – English Bible". Mechon-Mamre.
^Esther 9:22
^Barclay, Elozor; Yitzchok Jaeger (27 January 2004). "Gifts to the Poor". Aish.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
^Monger, George (23 November 2004). Marriage Customs of the World: From Henna to Honeymoons. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-57607-987-4.
^"The Henna Page - Henna Traditions of Purim in Kurdistan". www.hennapage.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
^"Purim 2012 Guide". Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
Purim (/ˈpʊərɪm/; פּוּרִים Pūrīm, lit. 'lots'; see Name below) is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation...
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Purim Rattanaruangwattana (Thai: ปุริม รัตนเรืองวัฒนา, born 21 May 1997), nicknamed Pluem, is a Thai actor and singer. He started acting in the 2013 movie...
widespread custom to act out the story of Purim. The Purim spiel, or Purim play, has its origins in this, although the Purim spiel is not limited to that subject...
Purim Torah is humorous and satirical comments in the learned style of talmudic or halakhic comments customarily read, recited from memory or authored...
the Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates his victory. However, since the 1890s, some academics have suggested that Purim originated from a Babylonian...
eradication. The Book of Esther's story provides the traditional explanation for Purim, a celebratory Jewish holiday that is observed on the Hebrew date on which...
Jewish feast, the feast of Purim, but Purim itself is not the subject and no individual feast in the book is commemorated by Purim. The book's theme, rather...
bombing (also Purim massacre) was a Palestinian terrorist attack which took place on March 4, 1996, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Purim. The suicide...
A Purim Rabbi of Purim Rav (Hebrew: רב פורים; Rav Purim) is a mock rabbi appointed during the celebration of Purim to recite the Purim Torah and to perform...
permitted in the Talmud, Megilla 7b... pûrim is a hebraized form of a Babylonian word...Efforts to identify Purim with an earlier Jewish or Greek festival...
Purim humor, Purim jokes, and Purim pranks are elements of joyful celebration of the holiday of Purim. Notable expressions of Purim humor of long tradition...
years) – Purim 14 Adar I (does not exist in non-leap years; Karaites celebrate in Adar II) – Purim Katan 15 Adar (II in leap years) – Shushan Purim – celebration...
A Purim spiel (also spelled Purimshpil, Yiddish: פּורימשפּיל, from Yiddish shpil 'game, play', see also spiel) or Purim play is an ensemble of festive...
festival of Purim ... Purim [Baruch's] friend explained 'is a holiday to kill the people who are trying to kill the Jews'" ... For most Jews Purim is a joyous...
Sri Rangapuram is a village in Nadigudem mandal, Suryapet district of Telangana. It is located 18.8 kilometres (11.7 mi) from Kodad town. The village is...
procession held in Israel on the Jewish holiday of Purim (or on Shushan Purim the second day of Purim, commanded to be celebrated in "walled cities", nowadays...
Second Purim (Hebrew: פורים שני, romanized: Purim Sheni), also called Purim Katan (Hebrew: פורים קטן, lit. 'Minor Purim'), is a celebratory day uniquely...
Meisel (Budapest, 1878). Masekhet Purim ("Tractate of Purim"), a Purim Torah, a parody intended to be read during Purim, written at Rome. Caricaturing the...
Shimita year. Purim Meshulash - Rare calendar occurrence when Purim in Jerusalem falls on Shabbat. The next time this will happen is 2021. Purim Katan - Minor...
saxophonist/flautist Joe Farrell, bassist Stanley Clarke, vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, drummer/percussionist Airto Moreira, who all performed...
fillings are also eaten on Purim because the hidden nature of the kreplach interior mimics the "hidden" nature of the Purim miracle. In many communities...
pastry associated with the Jewish holiday of Purim. The name refers to Haman, the villain in the Purim story. In Hebrew, hamantashen are also known as...
the Reform movement permit celebrating the holiday. The Jewish holiday of Purim has often been compared to Halloween, due to the wearing of costumes during...
Tisha B'Av occurs on Shabbat or Sunday. On Purim day, typically toward evening, a festive meal called Seudat Purim is held, with wine as a prominent beverage...
yellow star with the word JUDE on it. On February 25, 1994, that year's Purim day, Goldstein entered a room in the Cave of the Patriarchs that was serving...