Religious and secular Jews and those interested in the history of Israel will celebrate Purim in 2020. This day is especially significant for the Jewish people, since it is associated with the legend of the salvation of the Jews who lived in Persia during the reign of King Artaxerxes. Purim is the embodiment of faith in God and justice. It is celebrated with festivities, carnival processions in which people of all ages take part.
date
The official celebration date (year 2020) falls on Tuesday, March 10th. For those who are far from religious teachings, the celebration is associated with refreshments, fireworks, fun processions along the city streets, friendly gatherings. However, for religious people, Purim does not begin on the 10th, but on March 9th, immediately after sunset. At this time, it is customary to pray, read the book of Esther.
In accordance with the Gregorian calendar, the date of the celebration is shifted annually, so it must be tracked in advance. But, according to the Jewish chronology, the days of celebration are unchanged from year to year.
Attention! According to the Jewish calendar, Purim is celebrated every year on the 14th and 15th of the month of Hadar.
For the cities of Shushan and Jerusalem, the holiday begins on 15 Hadar (March 10 according to the Gregorian style) and is called Shushan Purim. If 15 adara falls on a Saturday day, then three days are considered to be festive: from Friday evening to Sunday. Such an event is called Purim Meshulash (Triple).
history of the holiday
The history of the holiday is connected with the feat of the Jewish girl Esther (Esther). She, being an orphan, was brought up in the house of a relative of Mordecai, who was the spiritual leader of the Jewish immigrants who lived in ancient times on the territory of the Persian Empire. Once King Artaxerxes, angry with his wife, decided to find a replacement for her. An order was issued to bring all the beautiful girls to the palace, of which Artaxerxes was to choose a new wife.
Esther, contrary to the efforts of her relatives to hide her from the guards, was in the palace and liked the ruler of Persia. Mordechai, who regularly visited the girl, advised her to hide her origin.
The painting "Esther before Artaxerxes", (Nicola Poussin)
During the reign of Artaxerxes, Aman, the prime minister of the empire, had special power. He was so rich and influential that he imagined himself to be a god and demanded worship from the population. As the spiritual leader of his people, Mordechai could not kneel before man, for Judaism forbids worshiping anyone other than the Almighty. By his refusal to recognize Aman as a god, he aroused the hatred of the prime minister. Since then, he was looking for a way to destroy not only Mordechai himself, but his whole people. So, once, Aman persuaded the king to sign a decree on the extermination of Jews. To set the date of the battle, he threw lots ("pur"), which fell on the 13th of the Adar.
Learning about this, Esther, before going to the king with a request for clemency, asked her brethren to fast and pray with her for three days. After that, she arranged a feast for her husband, at which he promised to fulfill any of her wishes. Esther asked the king for the salvation of her people. It was impossible to cancel the original decree, but it was supplemented by permission for the Jews to defend themselves, which helped save the nation from extinction. Since then, Purim is annually celebrated as a day of preservation of the nation from annihilation, as a day of the physical survival of the Jewish people.
Holiday customs
Purim holiday in 2020 will be celebrated traditionally:
- It starts with reading the Book of Esther, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud.
- After “spiritual food”, loved ones, neighbors, and colleagues are treated to pastries, sweets.
- Then the time will come to give gifts to the poor, to all those in need.
- During the holiday - a short reading of the Torah.
- Instructions will end with a fun feast, performances, carnival.
During Purim, it is forbidden to mourn, fast, or to litigate. This is a time of joy of salvation, which can be shared not only with those you know, but also with strangers. Purim is believed to be binding. They treat him with great respect, always celebrate "on a grand scale."
Attention! During the celebration there is a “moment of silence” when the souls of relatives who have left this world are remembered.
The celebration is accompanied by a plentiful feast, which can last several days. It is not forbidden to drink wine. For this holiday, special triangular-shaped pies with poppy seeds are baked. In many communities comedy performances with changing clothes, funny masks.
It is customary to treat neighbors and those who live far away. For this purpose, they simply send dishes and gastronomic delights by couriers. It is believed that such a gesture strengthens friendly relations between people, promotes spiritual rapprochement. The poor are given not only food, but also clothing and money. For those who are experiencing financial difficulties, they need serious help, organize fundraising.
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