Purim, which will begin at sundown on Monday and last through sundown on Tuesday, is one of the most joyous holidays on the Hebrew calendar. It is celebrated with carnivals, costume wearing and the sounding of noisemakers. Although the story behind Purim most likely never took place, with even most devoutly religious people believing the story to be more a legend than a piece of historical truth, it is an important symbolic tale of the struggle for the Jewish people trying to live in a mostly non-Jewish world that often does not tolerate them.
The story of Purim is told in the Biblical Book of Esther. It takes place in ancient Persia with the empire being ruled by King Ahasuerus, who some historians believe was based on the actual ruler Xerxes II. Ahasuerus needed a new wife and selected a Jewish orphan named Hadassah from a selection of beautiful women. At the advice of the uncle that raised her, Mordechai, Hadassah did not reveal her cultural heritage to the king and changed her name to the Persian Esther.
Ahasuerus had a wicked advisor named Haman. When Mordechai would not bow to Haman, he became enraged and requested that the king allow him to have all the Jews in Persia killed. The king agreed to the request, not knowing he was approving the death of his own wife.
When Mordechai learned of the plan, he pleaded with his niece to ask the king to reverse his decision. Although she was afraid to do it, Esther finally revealed her Jewish identity to the king at a banquet with Haman in attendance. A disturbed Ahasuerus changed his mind and had Haman killed instead.
Although the word “God” never appears in the story of Purim, nor is he even referenced, this does not mean it is a nonreligious holiday. The Book of Esther is usually read by a rabbi in a synagogue two times each year, once at night when Purim begins and a second time on the following day. The congregants listening to the story traditionally dress in costumes and make loud sounds with a noisemaker called a gragger every time Haman’s name is mentioned. People also boo and hiss and make noises with other instruments.
As a festive holiday, Purim is often celebrated with a carnival and, for the adults, excessive consumption of alcohol. According to the Talmud, an ancient book that discusses Jewish law and customs, one is supposed to drink enough alcohol on Purim so that the person cannot distinguish between “cursed be Haman” and “blessed be Mordechai.” However, in modern times, some have shied away from promoting Purim as a holiday for getting intoxicated.
Also on Purim, celebrators eat a triangular cookie with a filling made out of fruits, poppy seeds or nuts called a hamantashen. It is meant to symbolize the triangular hat that Haman wore.
Here is a hamantashen recipe from my grandfather, Albert Friedman, a semi-professional baker who lives in Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
fruit butters and/or pie fillings
Directions:
1. Blend the butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the egg and blend thoroughly. Add the orange juice and blend thoroughly. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating white and wheat, blending thoroughly between each.
2. Refrigerate batter overnight. On the next day, roll the batter as thin as you can without getting holes in it. Cut out three- or four-inch circles. Put a spoonful of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up the sides to make a triangle, overlapping the sides as much as possible so only a little filling shows through the middle. Squeeze the corners firmly, so they don’t come undone while baking.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown but before the filling boils over.