15 Purim Facts Every Jew Should Know

8 PuriM facts!

Purim Is the Jolliest Day of the Year The jolly festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (late winter/early spring). Purim 2020 begins on Monday night, March 9 and continues through Tuesday, March 10, (March 11 in Jerusalem). It commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from Haman’s plot “to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”

Mordechai and Esther Are the Heroes of the Day Mordechai was the leader of the Jewish people in Persia, and Esther was his cousin. Forcibly made queen of Persia, Esther bravely interceded—putting her own life on the line—on behalf of her people. The story of their heroism is recorded in the Book of Esther. Per Esther’s request, the events were written in a scroll to be read every year on Purim. This scroll, called the Megillah (Book of Esther), was one of the final books to be canonized in the Tanach. A genuine Megillah must be written by a scribe on parchment—a painstaking process that takes several days or weeks to complete.

There Are Four Purim Mitzvahs Purim is celebrated by observing the following four rituals: • Reading the Megillah which recounts the story of the Purim miracle. This is done once on the eve of Purim and again the following day. • Giving monetary gifts to at least two poor people. • Sending gifts of two kinds of food to at least one person. • A festive Purim feast, which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.

We Masquerade on Purim People traditionally dress up on Purim, wear masks, or otherwise make themselves look somewhat unusual. Like the “hidden” treats mentioned above, many say that concealing ourselves behind a costume reflects the way G d operated behind a cloak of natural events. We Spin “Graggers” on Purim Graggers are spinning noisemakers (ratchets) used to drown out Haman’s name during the Megillah reading. Since every word must be heard clearly, the reader repeats the name after the racket has died down. Although traditionally made of wood, graggers can be made of tin, plastic, or anything else. In a pinch, pounding on the table, stamping one’s feet, or shaking one’s keys will suffice.

Hamantaschen and Kreplach: Purim Treats G-d’s involvement in the Purim miracle was hidden; it appeared as if our people’s salvation came by way of natural means. Indeed, the day is celebrated with delicacies where the delicious filling is hidden inside dough. Classic hamantaschen are a sweet three-cornered pastry filled with poppy seeds, and meat-filled kreplach are traditionally cooked and served in chicken soup at the festive meal. The seeds recall Esther’s vegetarian diet in the royal palace, where she secretly kept kosher.

Stalin Was Thwarted on Purim The Gulf War Also Ended on Purim In the early 1950s, Joseph Stalin, the ruthless butcher of millions of innocent people, had bloody plans for dealing with the “Jewish problem” in the U.S.S.R. Just as things were reaching a crisis point in 1953, he suddently fell ill and died. His illness began . . . on Purim! In 1990, Saddam Hussein of Iraq defiantly invaded nearby Kuwait. As pressure ramped up from the international community, his army began firing SCUD missiles into Israel. The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, repeatedly assured the people of Israel that they would be protected. After the U.S.-led forces attacked Iraq, they were quickly victorious and the hostilities ended . . . on Purim!

Purim is Preceded by a Fast On the day before Purim (or on the Thursday before, when Purim is on Sunday), it is customary to fast, commemorating Esther’s fasting and praying to G d that He save His people.