Purim

Purim, which literally means “lots” and is sometimes known as the Feast of Lots, is the Jewish holiday in which Jews commemorate being saved from persecution in the ancient Persian Empire. According to the Book of Esther in the Torah, the Jewish people of the city of Shushan were threatened by the villain Haman, a prime minister who convinces the King Ahasuerus to kill all the Jews (because the Jewish Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman). Haman casts lots (hence the name of the holiday) to determine the date he would carry out his plan: the 13th of Adar. In the end, the Jews are saved by the heroic Queen Esther, Mordecai’s niece (and adopted daughter), who married Ahasuerus (after he banished his first, rebellious wife Vashti). When Ahasuerus discovers that his wife Esther is Jewish, he decides to reverse Haman’s decree, and instead of the Jews being killed, Haman, his sons, and other enemies are killed instead.

Purim is the most raucous holiday on the Jewish calendar and occurs on the 14 day of the month of Adar. Observance of the holiday begins with dressing up in costume: some people choose to dress as characters from the Purim story, and others dress in non-Purim-related costumes. It is a mitzvah (commandment) to listen to the story of Purim chanted from Megillat Esther (“The Scroll of Esther”) and to hear every word. It is customary to make loud noise with a noisemaker called a ra’ashan in Hebrew, or grager in Yiddish, every time Haman’s name is mentioned, in order to fulfill the obligation of blotting out Haman’s name. Part of the holiday also includes giving gifts or charity to the poor, called matanot l’evyonim. A fun tradition on the holiday is to perform a Purim spiel, a satirical show either dramatizing the Purim story in a humorous way, or just a funny skit on any theme.

Found on https://toriavey.com/what-is-purim