PURIM FACTS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

1. 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. Purim 2023 begins Monday night, March 6, and continues through Tuesday, March 7.

Purim 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.”

2. Purim Is a Persian Word

Purim means “lots” in ancient Persian. The holiday was thus named since the evil Haman had thrown lots to determine when he would carry out his diabolical scheme. You can pronounce the name of the holiday

By Menachem Posner

in many ways. In Eastern tradition, it is called poo-REEM. Among Westerners, it is often called PUH-rim. Some CentralEuropean communities even call it PEErim. (Calling it PYOO-rim—as English speakers are sometimes wont to do—is a surefire newbie cover-blower.)

3. Mordechai and Esther Are the Heroes of the Day

Mordechai was the leader of the Jewish people in Persia, and Esther was his cousin. Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman, a high-level court official in Persia, in defiance that was brave and principled. Esther was forced into being made queen of Persia after the king selected her because of her beauty. But she then bravely used her access to the king to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people — putting her own life on the line. The story of their heroism is recorded in the Book of Esther.

4. The Book of Esther Is Handwritten on Parchment

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 (Hebrew Bible). A genuine Megillah must be written by a scribe on parchment—a painstaking process that takes several days or weeks to complete.

5. There Are Four Purim Mitzvahs

Purim is celebrated by observing the following four rituals:

1. 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.

2. Giving monetary gifts to at least two poor people, called in Hebrew Mataot La’evyonim.

3. Sending gifts of two kinds of food to at least one person, called in Hebrew Mishloach Manot.

4. Making or attending a festive Purim feast (Seudat Purim), which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages.

6. We Spin “Groggers” on Purim

Groggers 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 done down. Although traditionally made of wood, groggers can be made of tin, plastic, or anything else. In a pinch, they can be substituted by pounding on the table, stamping one’s feet, or even shaking one’s to make loud and interruptive noise.

7. People Drink Wine on Purim

The sages of the Talmud assert that “a person is obligated to drink on Purim until he does not know the difference between ‘blessed is Mordechai and cursed is Haman.’” Obviously, this does not apply to anyone who may become ill or act totally inappropriately when intoxicated.

8. 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. In Tucson, the fast begins at 5:30 AM on Monday, March 6, and concludes at 6:52 PM.

9. 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 at least somewhat concealed inside dough. Classic hamantaschen are a sweet threecornered pastry filled with poppy seeds or jam, and kreplach, a noodle dough filled with meat. Kreplach are traditionally cooked and served in chicken soup at the festive meal.

10. 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.

11. People Say “Purim Torah”

In keeping with the over-the-top atmosphere of the day, people (especially learned Jews) share “Purim Torah,” in which silliness and scholarship mesh into a dizzying blend of witty (and sometimes absurd) exegeses.

12. Purim Is Deferred One Day in Jerusalem

Purim is observed on Adar 14, when the Jews rested after trouncing their enemies in battle. In Persia’s capital city of Shushan, there were so many bad guys that it took another day of fighting to ensure their safety, so they rested on the following day, Adar 15. Since Shushan was walled, it was declared that all walled metropolises (chiefly, but not only, Jerusalem) would celebrate on that later date. This second Purim is known as “Shushan Purim.”

13. Purim Is Always a Month and a Day Before Passover

Purim is celebrated on Adar 14, and Passover starts on Nissan 15. In a Jewish leap year, there are two Adars, making for a total of 13 months. In those years, Purim is celebrated during the second Adar, so it is close to Passover. This is so that the miraculous salvation of Purim is as close as possible to the miracle of the Exodus, commemorated on Passover.

14.

Stalin Was Thwarted on Purim

In the early 1950s, Soviet Union dictator 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 suddenly fell ill and died. His illness began... on Purim!

15.

The Gulf War Also Ended on Purim

In 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of Iraq defiantly invaded nearby Kuwait. As pressure ramped up from the international community, his army began firing SCUD missiles into the Holy Land of 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!

Sarah Lapidus was born in San Fransisco, California. After graduating from Michigan State University (MSU), she traveled to Beijing, China where she taught art and handled marketing for a tech company. Upon her return to the U.S., she studied journalism at City College of San Francisco. She now covers rural communities in southern Arizona for The Arizona Republic.

Moving to Tucson: I moved to Tucson in March. I came here from living on Kodiak Island on the south coast of Alaska and I do miss it. But I’m loving Tucson. The people I have met here have been so kind and genuine, and the access to nature is incredible.

Currently reading/learning: Reading the novel Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros, and trying to learn how to play the ukulele.

Favorite Mitzvah/holiday: My parents would always take me to volunteer at soup kitchens on Christmas.

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