What Is Hamantaschen? What Does It Symbolize during Purim?
Purim, the Jewish holiday that remembers the Jewish escape from destruction at the hands of Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Empire, falls on March 13 and 14, 2025. Generally a day of celebration, with much laughter and the telling of stories, Purim also typically features a filled pastry called Hamantaschen. What is hamantaschen and what does it symbolize? Why is it associated with Purim?
The Purim Story
The Purim story comes from the Book of Esther, considered by scholars to have been written around the 4th century BCE. The Book of Esther tells the story of King Ahasuerus of Persia and of Esther, a young woman in his kingdom. The king held a banquet and ordered his queen, Vashti, to dance for his guests. When she refused, he removed her as queen, subsequently choosing Esther, who, unbeknownst to him, was Jewish, a secret she kept even after ascending to the throne.
Esther’s cousin, Mordechai, who had counseled her not to reveal her Jewish heritage, overheard a plot by two men to kill the king. He told Esther, who informed the king. The plot was discovered, the perpetrators put to death and Mordechai was lauded by the king. Haman, the king’s vizier (adviser), subsequently rode through the streets, demanding that all subjects bow to him. Mordechai refused, contending that Jewish people bowed only to God. Haman, learning of Mordechai’s Jewish heritage, convinced the king to kill all the Jewish people in the kingdom. He then cast lots, or “purim,” to determine the day the massacre would take place.
Mordechai, learning of Haman’s plan, told Esther, who disclosed her Jewish identity to the king. She then convinced him to oppose Haman’s plan. Haman was subsequently hanged and Mordechai was named royal vizier.
What Is Hamantaschen?
Hamantaschen, which takes its name from “Haman,” is a triangular pocket pastry that originated within the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Literally translated as “Haman’s ears,” it’s typically made with rolled or twisted strips of dough. Though it was initially a leavened food, made with yeast, it now uses baking powder. Traditionally, the dough is rolled into a small circle and some sort of filling is placed in the middle. Three sides are then folded up to create a triangle.
More often, hamantaschen comes with some type of fruit or sweet filling, such as dates, raisins, apples, berries and prunes, or caramel, chocolate or sweetened poppy seed paste. In recent years, though, savory fillings have become more popular. That may include cheese, pizza, everything bagel or spinach, though the options are virtually endless.
The dough used to make sweet hamantaschen is typically made with butter, flour, eggs, sugar and some type of flavoring, which may be as simple as vanilla or may include cocoa, lemon, orange blossom or rose water. The dough used for sweet hamantaschen is customarily crumbly, similar to shortbread, whereas the dough for savory hamantaschen more closely resembles pie crust or a puff pastry.
What Is the Symbolism of Hamantaschen?
Scholars believe that the hamantaschen, named for the king’s evil vizier, represent the vanquished foe of the Purim story. The Yiddish word “tash” means “pouch” or “pocket,” so hamantaschen can easily be construed to represent the money-laden purse that Haman allegedly offered to the king to obtain permission to slaughter everyone in the Jewish community. In Hebrew, though, “tash” translates as “weaken,” so that the consumption of hamantaschen is viewed as reducing or weakening the power of Haman to carry out his plot.
Scholars are uncertain why hamantaschen bears its distinct, three-cornered appearance. It has been suggested that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, though there’s no proof. Others believe that the three sides of the pastry represent the Three Patriarchs. Some contend that it represents the female reproductive organs and is a sign of fertility. Still others say it derives from the traditional technique that Jewish bakers used to make dumplings.
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