Each nation has special celebrations preceded by careful preparations and a large scale of festivities. The Jews also have their own holiday, called "Purim." The history of the Purim holiday dates back to the distant past, when the Jews were scattered across the Persian empire, which stretched from Ethiopia to India .
What is the Jewish holiday of Purim dedicated to?
The history of Purim is set forth in the Book of Esther, which the Jews call the scroll of Megillat Esther. The facts described in the book occurred under the reign of King Ahasuerus, who ruled Persia from 486 to 465 BC. The king decided to have a feast in the capital of the state of Suzan, during which he wanted to demonstrate the beauty of his beloved wife, Tsarina Vashti. The woman refused to go to the invited guests, which greatly offended Achashverosh.
Then, at his behest, the best girls of Persia were brought to the palace, and from many he liked a girl of Jewish origin named Esther. At that time she was an orphan and grew up in the house of her brother Mordecai. The king decided to make Esther his new wife, but the girl did not tell her husband about his Jewish roots. At that time the tsar was preparing an attempt and Mordecai managed to warn Ahashverosh through his sister, than he actually saved him.
After a while, the king made all the Jews of Haman his adviser to the enemy. Before him, in fear, every inhabitant of the empire bowed his head, except Mordecai. Then Haman decided to take revenge on him and the entire Jewish people and, using intrigues and deceit, obtained from the king an order to destroy all Persians who have Jewish roots. By lot, this was to happen on the 13th of the month of Adar. Then Marhodei reported this to his sister, who in turn asked the king to protect all Jews, since she herself is a part of this people. The enraged king ordered Haman to be executed and signed a new decree according to which 13 numbers living in the empire of the Jews can exterminate all of their haters, but they do not dare to rob them at home. As a result, more than 75,000 people, including the ten sons of Haman, were exterminated.
After the victory, the Jews celebrated their magical salvation, and Marhodaya became the chief adviser to the king. Since then, the Jewish Purim has become a celebration that symbolizes the salvation of all Jews from death and shame.
Traditions of the Purim holiday
Today, Purim is a special day for the entire Jewish people, and celebrations in its honor take place in an atmosphere of fun and ease. The official days of the celebrations are 14 and 15 Adar. The dates are not static and change every year. So, in 2013 Purim was celebrated on February 23-24, and in 2014 on March 15-16.
On the day when Purim is celebrated it is customary to perform the following actions:
- Reading scrolls . During the prayer in the synagogue, the readers recite scrolls from the book of Esther. At this time, those present begin to stamp, whistle to make noise with special ratchets. Thus, they express contempt for the memory of villainous decrees. Rabbis, however, often protest against such behavior in the synagogue.
- A solemn meal . It is customary to drink a lot of wine on this day. According to the main book of Judaism, you need to drink until you stop distinguishing,
whether you say blessings to Mordecai or curse Haman. On the holiday, biscuits are also baked in the form of a "triangle" with a filling of jam or poppy. - Gifts . On the day of Purim it is customary to give sweet bread to relatives and give alms to the needy.
- Carnival . During the meal, small performances based on the legends of the book of Esther are played out. On Purim it is customary to dress up in different costumes, and men can wear women's outfits and vice versa. In the usual situation, such actions are categorically prohibited by Jewish law.