The people of Israel celebrate the Purim festival

Religious and secular Jews and those interested in the history of Israel will celebrate Purim in 2023. This day is especially significant for Jews, as it is associated with the legend of salvation. of the Jews living in Persia under King Artaxerxes. Purim is the embodiment of faith in God and justice. It is celebrated with festivals and carnival processions in which people of all ages participate.

What is the Purim holiday?

Purim was an annual holiday that began in the life of the Macchabeans to commemorate God’s preservation of the Jews from the slaughter that Haman had devised in ancient Persia (Esther 9:1-). The Jews probably called it Purim to mock. The great adversary, Haman, appeared to be a superstitious lot stiff. So the Jews named this celebration Purim, from the word Puri meaning “to cast lots,” because Haman cast lots in order to know a lucky day for him to execute the blood-shedding certificate.

For those far from religious teachings, celebrations are associated with refreshments, fireworks, fun
According to the Gregorian calendar, the date of the celebration is changed every year, so it must be followed up in advance.

According to the Jewish calendar, Purim is celebrated annually on the 14th and 15th of the month of Hadar. For the cities of Shushan and Jerusalem, the holiday begins on 15 Hadar (March 10 in the Gregorian style) and is called Shushan Purim. If 15 adars fall on a Saturday, then three days are considered festival: from Friday night to Sunday.

The Jewish festival of Purim took place on March 16 and 17, throughout Israel.

Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the Jewish month Adar, so it usually falls in February or March of the common calendar. Purim is an occasion for Jews to celebrate and commemorate the escape from persecution and destruction of the courtier Haman under the ancient Persian empire, about 2,500 years ago.

On this holiday, people read the Book of Esther and tell stories, give each other food, and drink, do charity work, and dress up. The Book of Esther is a book in the third part of the Jewish Tanakh, which later became part of the Old Testament. In synagogues, during the Purim festival, a play can be performed that tells the Purim story and teases the villain Haman.

Unlike solemn occasions, during Purim, both children and adults often gather to party indoors or dance and parade in the streets. Orthodox Jews celebrate Purim in the traditional form in the synagogue, while young people choose a more modern and liberal celebration. Costumes look like modern and popular characters, such as Wizards, Batman, Harry Potter, or cartoon characters. All create a fun and colorful festive atmosphere.

According to Jewish custom, the day before (the 13th day of Adar) the Jews would read the Book of Esther about the miracle of Purim and would continue to read the next day. During the holiday, people will give money gifts to at least 2 poor people and send 2 food gifts to at least one person.

In addition, according to customs, Purim Day is also the day when Jews will wear costumes and eat together. The traditional food of Purim is hamantaschen (or oznay Haman) this is a three-cornered cake with poppy seed kernel or another sweet filling.

Holiday story

The history of the holiday is connected with the feat of the Jewish girl Esther. She, being an orphan, was raised in the home of a relative of Mordecai, the spiritual leader of the Jewish immigrants who lived in ancient times on the territory of the Persian Empire. When King Artaxerxes, angry with his wife, decided to find a replacement for her. An order was issued to bring all the beautiful girls to the palace, of which Artaxerxes was to choose a new wife.

Esther, contrary to the efforts of her relatives to hide her from the guardians, was in the palace and liked the ruler of Persia. Mordechai, who regularly visits the girl, advises her to hide her origin. During the reign of Artaxerxes, Aman, the prime minister of the empire, had special powers. He is so rich and influential that he imagines himself as a god and demands adoration from the populace.

As the spiritual leader of his people, Mordechai could not kneel before humans, as Judaism forbids the worship of anyone other than the Almighty. By refusing to recognize Aman as a god, he aroused the prime minister’s hatred. Since then, he has been seeking to destroy not only Mordechai himself but also his people. So, once, Aman convinced the king to sign a decree on the extermination of the Jews. To establish the date of the battle, he threw a lot (“pur”), which fell on the 13th day of Adar.

Finding out about this, Esther, before going to the king with a request for clemency, asked her brothers to fast and pray with her for three days. She then arranges a meal for her husband, at which point he promises to fulfill any of her wishes. Esther asked the king for the salvation of his people. The original decree could not be revoked, but it was supplemented with permission for the Jews to fend for themselves, which helped save the nation from extinction. Since then, Purim has been celebrated every year as a day of national conservation from destruction, as a Jewish survival day….

Conclusion

Purim is an occasion to remember God’s salvation and protection for us. Hope this article of Mazeshirt will help you better understand the meaning of this holiday. Follow us now for more interesting information.