Purim Celebration

(Pic taken from website.)

The blast from the neighbour's sound speaker system started yesterday's evening. Normally it is quiet around here. I called Mrs. Kramer earlier, and she told me that the most festive of Jewish holidays, Purim is to be held today, and it would be a fun day for children.

"Purim is the most festive of Jewish holidays, a time of prizes, noisemakers, costumes and treats. The Festival of Purim commemorates a major victory over oppression and is recounted in the Megillah, the scroll of the story of Esther. Purim takes place on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar, the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar. This year (2006) Purim begins at sundown on the 13th of March." (Link)

Further link on the celebration:

"They are to observe these as days of feasting and gladness, and for sending delicacies to one another, and giving gifts to the poor." (Esther 9:22)

There are four mitzvoth specific to the holiday of Purim:

- Reading the Megillah (Scroll of Esther)
- Festivity and rejoicing (the Purim meal)
- Sending food to friends (Mishloach Manot)
- Giving gifts to the poor (Matanot La'evyonim)

The Book of Esther is read on Purim night, and again the next day. Every word must be clearly heard. It is read it in the synagogue, because the larger the crowd, the greater publicity is given to the miracle of the salvation of the Jews.

There is a beautiful custom before reading the Megillah in the synagogue, to contribute three half-dollar coins (or their equivalent) to charity. This symbolizes the half-shekel which every Jew used to give as dues to the Temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 30:11-16). But why does the Torah specify a half-shekel instead of a whole? The answer is that by giving only a half, each Jew realizes that he'll never become "complete" unless he is part of the larger community. Accordingly, Jewish law states that everyone -- rich or poor -- is to give no more and no less than a half-shekel. "

I wished I had taken my camera along. As I drove along the neighbourhood, there were many people in costumes. I even noticed a woman driving in a policewomen costume, with baloons covered all over her car. Many cars were decorated with sticky foam, colourful decorative cut-outs and blaring horns about. The children were in all sorts of costumes, resembling almost a carnival atmosphere. Young ladies were carrying bouquet of flowers carefully wrapped in cellophane. Young men were prancing about, some in costumes, some in white. The usual black was not much to be seen.

I missed this last year somehow. Perhaps I was away at this time last year. At least I managed to witness the celebration before I leave for home.