Note: The author of this article writes “G-d” with hyphenation to respect an interpretation of a Jewish rule about honoring the Holy One’s name.
Purim, or the Feast of Lots, is a Biblical Jewish festival known for extravagant costumes, the exchanging of gift baskets, performances, and a feast. This joyous celebration commemorates how ancient Jews were spared from massacre during the Persian Empire.
In 2025 (or ה'5785 on the Hebrew calendar) Purim begins at sundown on Thursday, March 13, and ends at nightfall on Friday, March 14. As the festival approaches, here are the basics you need to know to understand Purim, its origins, and what it symbolizes about Jewish survival.
What Is Purim? The Story of the Jewish Holiday
Purim is an annual festive holiday that celebrates a young Jewish woman’s heroic role in saving her people, and it may have been celebrated as far back as the 5th century B.C.E. That’s when the events described in the Book of Esther — the basis for Purim — are believed to have taken place.
The Book of Esther is one of five Scrolls, or Megillot, in the third section of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible). These Scrolls are shorter Biblical books grouped together for liturgical use and traditionally read publicly in synagogues throughout the course of the year. The Book’s eponymous heroine, Esther, became the Queen of Persia, or ancient Iran, in the fifth century BCE, strategically hiding her Jewish identity from her husband, King Ahasuerus. Eventually, Esther bravely revealed her status as a Jewish person to convince the king to stop his antisemitic advisor, Haman, from annihilating the Jewish people of Persia.
Due to Esther's courage, Haman was hanged on the gallows that had been arranged for Esther’s caregiver, Mordecai. Ahasuerus issued a new decree allowing the Jewish people to defend themselves against anyone who tried to kill them, and thus the Jewish people killed 75,000 attackers, including Haman’s 10 sons (Esther 9:10-13).
Esther had a lot to lose if revealing her identity had backfired and angered her husband. King Ahasuerus had executed his prior wife, Vashti — though some Biblical interpretations claim Vashti was deposed or banished, not killed. Plus, anyone who approached the king without being summoned was put to death, and Esther had not been summoned for 30 days.
Esther was initially hesitant to answer Mordecai’s pleas to reveal her true identity to Ahasuerus, but she decided to take a leap of faith. Her one condition, as she instructed Mordecai, was that the Jewish people of Shushan, the capital city of the Persian Empire, must hold a three-day long collective fast as a cry for salvation.
Esther said: “Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. Then I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!” (Esther 4:16)
When Is Purim Celebrated? Is it the Same Day Every Year?
The festival of Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th day of Adar, the second month of the Hebrew calendar, everywhere but Jerusalem. (In Jerusalem, Purim is celebrated on the 15th day of Adar and is called Shushan Purim). This means Purim typically falls during February or March. On leap years, an extra month — Adar II — is added, and Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of that month.
Because the Hebrew calendar is based on lunar months, that means the exact dates of Adar, and of Purim, change on the Gregorian (solar) calendar each year.
Why Do We Call it Purim? The Meaning Behind the Name
The name “Purim” means “lots” in ancient Persian, referring to the lots Haman cast to select the date of his proposed genocide.
When Haman decided to massacre the Jewish people of Persia, he cast a type of lottery called purim — “lots” in ancient Persian — to determine the day of the genocide. He landed on the 13th day of Adar, the 12th month of the year on the Hebrew calendar. The name of the holiday refers to Haman’s decision to cast these lots.
Haman was not the first or last man to try to exterminate the Jewish people. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, and even Haman’s own ancestors, the Amalekites, had tried in vain to wipe Jewish people off the map. For thousands of years after Haman’s attempts, people throughout history have tried and failed to destroy the Jewish people, including Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century, Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in the seventh century, German knight Rindfleisch in the 13th century, and Adolf Hitler in the 20th century. Thus, Purim not only celebrates the Jewish people’s survival against Haman but also our generational survival against incessant threats of genocide.
How Do We Celebrate Purim Today? The Role of Purim Costumes, Gifts, and Food
Modern Jewish observers celebrate Purim with several customs, including interactive recitations and whimsical costumes. On Purim, it’s traditional to listen to the Book of Esther, or Megillat Esther in Hebrew, and cheer or boo at the naming of heroes and villains (think: the original Rocky Horror Picture Show). Many congregations use noisemakers called graggers and stamp their feet to drown out Haman’s name, signifying his status as the villain of the Purim story.
Some Purim customs involve posthumously humiliating Haman, such as baking triangular cookies called hamantaschen to imitate the shape of the triangular hat purportedly worn by Haman. In ancient times, some observers burned effigies of Haman.
Other traditions celebrate the heroes of the story, which is why many Jewish people wear costumes and masks on Purim — it’s said to to emulate the way Esther “masked” her Judaism from Ahasuerus. A 15th-century Italian rabbi, Yehuda Minz, argued that wearing costumes — and even cross-dressing — is sanctioned because it creates joy, according to Georgetown University Center for Jewish Civilization professor Ori Z. Soltes.
Further, the Book of Esther does not mention G-d’s name at all — and G-d does not play a visible role in the miracle that Purim celebrates. Disguising oneself in costume echoes the way G-d worked behind "a cloak of the natural order" in the Book of Esther, according to Chabad.org staff editor Rabbi Menachem Posner. Thus, a theme of masquerading emerges. The tradition may also be rooted in 13th-century Italian traditions of dressing up and holding carnivals for Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. That said, don’t call Purim “Jewish Carnival” or “Jewish Halloween” — Purim is a festival of deep significance to Jewish communities specifically, and it shouldn’t be conflated with other holidays.
Purim celebrations also include exchanging gifts of food and giving to charity. Delivering gifts to friends and strangers — known as mishloach manot, Hebrew for “sending portions to one another” — is a Purim mitzvah, or commandment. The other three Purim commandments are to read the aforementioned Megillat Esther, enjoy a festive meal called the Seudah, and donate to people in need. Altogether, it’s an occasion of revelry, resilience, and community, making it one of the most beloved, joyful holidays in the Jewish tradition.
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