The Story Behind the Jewish Festival of Lots
If you’re out and about on March 16-17, 2022, and you see people decked out in carnival-like costumes, but no green in sight, you’ve likely come upon a local celebration of Purim. Also known as the Jewish Festival of Lots, Purim is perhaps the most festive of all Jewish holidays, celebrated around the world with street parties, concerts, feasts and other revelry. In 2022, it begins on Wednesday night, March 16 and continues throughout the next day, typically by both secular and religious members of the Jewish faith.
What Are the Origins of Purim?
The festival of Purim celebrates the historic event where the Jewish minority in Persia were saved from slaughter during the reign of King Ahasuerus. As set forth in the book of Esther, Esther finds favor with Ahasuerus and becomes his wife, though she fails to tell the king that she is Jewish. Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, falls into disfavor with the king’s viceroy (Haman) because of his refusal to bow down to him. Haman then hatches a plot to kill all members of the Jewish community in Persia, obtaining the king’s permission to do so. Aware of the plan, Mordecai appeals to Esther, who intercedes with the king, eventually preventing the killing of the Jewish people.
How Is Purim Celebrated?
Purim is considered more a holiday than a high holy day, a celebration of the nation of Israel, rather than a commemoration of the Jewish faith. The primary obligations (mitzvot) associated with the day include:
- The consumption of a festive meal
- The giving of gifts of food to friends and family
- Charitable gifts to the poor
- Attendance at public readings, often in a synagogue
The Public Reading
The primary religious ceremony associated with Purim is the reading of the Megillah (the book of Esther). This is done on the evening when Purim starts and again the following morning. In many traditions and locations, the Megillah is read as a chant, but others also read it as an epistle, or letter. Jewish law holds that the Megillah may be read in any language that will be understood by the audience.
Other Traditions Associated with Purim
Many customs have evolved in connection with the celebration of Purim:
- Dressing in wild and exotic costumes or clothes—In many ways, Purim can look like one huge masquerade party, with people wearing masks, colorful attire or costumes. There are a variety of theories regarding the reason for dressing up. Many believe that it symbolized the Purim story and narrative, where “nothing is as it seems.” Esther, the king’s wife, was Jewish, after all, unbeknownst to him and the royal palace.
- Eating food with seeds—A popular treat during Purim is a triangular pastry called a hamantaschen (or “Haman’s ears”), stuffed with poppy seeds and a sweet filling. The poppy seeds symbolize the faith and trials of both Daniel and Esther, who were forced to subsist entirely on seeds while they lived among members of royalty, so that they wouldn’t have to consume anything that wasn’t kosher.
- The consumption of alcohol—Alcohol plays an important role in Esther’s ascension to becoming the king’s wife—the story goes that the king got drunk and asked Esther’s predecessor to parade around naked before the nobility, wearing only her crown. When she refused to do so, he replaced her with Esther. Accordingly, it is a common practice for many in the Jewish faith to have a little more wine during Purim.
- Rattling a grogger—It’s long been a custom that, whenever the name of Haman is mentioned during the reading of the Megillah, people pull out their groggers (a handheld ratchet) and spin them, making a joyful noise. The spinning of the grogger is often accompanied with shouting, banging, stomping of feet and generally noisemaking. It’s essentially a collective booing of the bad guy in the story.
- Shpielers performing shticks—A big part of the Purim festivities involves performances or routines (shpiels), with song and dance, mini-plays and comedy routines (shticks). It’s fairly common, in the weeks before the start of Purim, to see shpielers going door-to-door in Jewish communities, practicing their routines and collecting money for charity.
- Giving 50 cent pieces to charity—Another tradition has celebrants make donations to three different charities. According to custom, the amount given is half the local denomination. In the United States, that typically means half of a dollar. Many synagogues and Jewish organizations provide 50 cent pieces to people to make these donations.
Gutterman’s—Compassionate Funeral and Burial Services for Five Generations
At Gutterman’s, we provide comprehensive funeral and burial services to members of the Jewish communities in New York and Florida. For more than 125 years, we have assisted people from all different Jewish traditions, offering help with every detail after the death of a loved one. We handle all matters with the Chevra Kadisha, and will guide you through all the funeral, burial and mourning process, working with you to plan the memorial service, set up Shiva, select a monument or marker, and even create a Yahrzeit calendar.
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