Purim: The Festival of Joy

The Most Joyful Day

If the Jewish calendar has a day when solemnity gives way to pure, unrestrained celebration, it is Purim. Falling on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar (usually in late February or March), Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from a plot to destroy them in ancient Persia. It is a holiday of costumes, comedy, generosity, feasting, and storytelling — a day when the ordinary rules are turned upside down and joy is not just permitted but commanded.

The Talmud famously states that when the month of Adar arrives, joy increases. Purim is the peak of that joy.

The Story of Esther

A Plot to Destroy

The story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther), one of the most dramatic narratives in the Hebrew Bible. Set in the Persian Empire during the reign of King Ahasuerus (often identified with Xerxes I), the story unfolds like a thriller:

Ahasuerus, a powerful but capricious king, deposes his queen, Vashti, and holds a beauty contest to find a new wife. He chooses Esther, a young Jewish woman who — at the urging of her cousin and guardian Mordechai — conceals her Jewish identity.

Meanwhile, the king elevates Haman, an ambitious and arrogant official, to the highest position in the court. Haman demands that all subjects bow before him. Mordechai refuses. Enraged, Haman resolves to destroy not just Mordechai but all the Jews in the Persian Empire. He casts lots — purim in Hebrew — to choose the date of the massacre, and obtains a royal decree authorizing the genocide.

A Queen’s Courage

When Mordechai learns of the plot, he sends word to Esther, urging her to intercede with the king. Esther hesitates — approaching the king uninvited is punishable by death. Mordechai responds with one of the most famous lines in the Bible: “Who knows whether you have come to royal position for just such a time as this?”

Esther fasts for three days, then approaches the king. Through a series of carefully orchestrated banquets, she reveals Haman’s plot — and her own Jewish identity. The king, furious at Haman’s treachery, orders Haman hanged on the very gallows Haman had built for Mordechai. A new decree allows the Jews to defend themselves, and they are saved.

A Story of Reversals

The Book of Esther is remarkable for several reasons. It is the only book of the Hebrew Bible in which God is never explicitly mentioned. Salvation comes not through miracles or divine intervention but through human courage, cleverness, and timing. The story is also structured around dramatic reversals (v’nahafoch hu) — the one who planned destruction is himself destroyed; the one who demanded honor is humiliated; the people marked for death celebrate life.

The Four Mitzvot of Purim

Jewish tradition prescribes four specific commandments for the observance of Purim:

1. Reading the Megillah

The Megillah (the scroll of the Book of Esther) is read aloud in the synagogue twice — once on the evening of Purim and once the following morning. The reading is a communal, theatrical event. Every time Haman’s name is mentioned, the congregation erupts with noise — stomping feet, shaking graggers (noisemakers called ra’ashanim in Hebrew), booing, and hissing — to blot out the name of the villain.

The Megillah is chanted in a special musical mode (trope) that is livelier and more playful than the cantillation used for Torah reading. In many communities, the reader uses distinct voices for different characters, and the audience participates with cheers, jeers, and laughter.

2. Mishloach Manot: Gifts of Food

On Purim day, Jews send mishloach manot — packages of ready-to-eat food — to friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Each package must contain at least two different types of food. The purpose is to strengthen community bonds and ensure that everyone has food for the festive meal.

In practice, mishloach manot has become a beloved art form. Families assemble creative themed baskets, children deliver them to neighbors’ doors, and the exchange fills the day with warmth and connection.

3. Matanot La’Evyonim: Gifts to the Poor

Purim includes a commandment to give charity to at least two people in need. This mitzvah ensures that the joy of the holiday is shared by everyone, including those who might otherwise be excluded. The tradition teaches that on Purim, one should give to anyone who extends a hand — no questions asked.

4. The Purim Feast (Se’udat Purim)

On the afternoon of Purim, families and communities gather for a festive meal — the se’udat Purim. The meal is joyous and often boisterous, with singing, storytelling, and celebration. Wine flows freely; the Talmud makes the startling statement that one should drink on Purim “until one cannot distinguish between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordechai.’” While interpretations of this teaching vary — and responsible observance is always encouraged — the point is clear: Purim is a day to let go of ordinary restraint and surrender to joy.

Costumes, Spiels, and Celebration

Dressing Up

One of the most beloved Purim customs is wearing costumes and masks. Children and adults alike dress up — as characters from the Megillah, as superheroes, as anything imaginable. The tradition of disguise connects to the story’s themes of hidden identity (Esther concealing her Jewishness, God’s hidden hand behind events) and the day’s spirit of playful reversal.

The Purim Spiel

In Ashkenazi communities, it is traditional to perform a Purim spiel (shpil — Yiddish for “play”) — a comedic retelling of the Esther story, often with modern jokes, parodies of community leaders, and absurdist humor. Purim spiels have a long history in European Jewish life, and today they range from amateur skits in Hebrew schools to elaborate productions in synagogues and community centers.

Adloyada

In Israel, Purim is celebrated with public parades and street festivals called adloyada — a word derived from the Talmudic phrase “ad d’lo yada” (“until one does not know”), referring to the joyful blurring of distinctions. The largest adloyada takes place in the city of Holon, near Tel Aviv, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators with floats, music, and dancing in the streets.

Hamantaschen: The Iconic Treat

No Purim celebration is complete without hamantaschen — triangular filled pastries whose name means “Haman’s pockets” (or, in some folk etymologies, “Haman’s ears”). The dough is folded into a triangle and filled with traditional fillings such as:

• Poppy seed (mohn) — the classic Ashkenazi filling
• Prune or apricot jam — sweet and tangy
• Chocolate, halva, or Nutella — modern favorites, especially popular in Israel
• Date paste — a common Sephardic and Mizrahi filling

In Hebrew, hamantaschen are called oznei Haman (“Haman’s ears”), and in Sephardic communities, the holiday treat may take entirely different forms — such as orejas de Haman (fried dough pastries) or sweet coiled pastries.

Sephardic and Ashkenazi Customs

Purim is celebrated with remarkable consistency across Jewish communities, but local traditions add distinctive flavor:

• In some Sephardic communities, a dramatic reenactment of the Esther story — complete with elaborate costumes and audience participation — replaces the Ashkenazi-style Purim spiel.
• Persian Jews celebrate Purim with particular pride, given that the story takes place in their ancestral homeland. Persian Purim celebrations often feature elaborate feasts with traditional dishes.
• In the walled city of Jerusalem (and other cities that were walled in the time of Joshua), Purim is observed one day later, on the 15th of Adar, a celebration known as Shushan Purim — named for the ancient capital of Susa, where the events of the Megillah took place.

The Deeper Message

Beneath the costumes and revelry, Purim carries a profound message. It is a story about the courage to stand up when everything is at stake. It is about the hidden forces — call them providence, call them luck, call them the resilience of a people — that conspire to turn darkness into light. And it is a reminder that joy itself is a form of resistance: that a community which can laugh, celebrate, and share with one another in the face of danger is a community that cannot be destroyed.

The Talmud teaches that in the messianic age, all holidays may cease — but Purim will never be abolished. Whatever the future holds, the joy of Purim endures.