Purim will begin at sundown on Monday, March 6 and conclude at nightfall on Tuesday, March 7. One of the merriest days of the Jewish year is the early-spring holiday of Purim, celebrated on the 14th day of the month of Adar. It commemorates the deliverance of the Jews from the massacre plotted by Haman, the chief minister of King Ahasuerus of Persia. The source of the holiday is the biblical Book of Esther, which is read during special Purim services that are marked by great revelry. Each time Haman’s name is read, congregants drown it out by making as much noise as possible—whistling, catcalling, hissing, booing, stomping, or using groggers (special Purim noisemakers). One of the traditional foods of this celebration is hamantaschen, a three-cornered filled pastry supposed to represent Haman’s hat.
ADVERTISEMENT
