The story is recounted in the Book of Esther. The Persian king's prime minister, Haman, became enraged at the Jews when one of them, Mordecai, refused to bow down before him. So Haman convinced the king that all the Jews in his empire should be eliminated. But the king had a Jewish wife -- this was Esther -- who interceded with him at the risk of her own life to spare the Jews. The king granted her request and had Haman hanged. The day on which the slaughter of the Jews was to take place had been selected by Haman by drawing lots, and purim is the Hebrew word for "lot".
Since it turned out to be a day when the Jews defeated their enemies instead and emerged triumphant, Purim is quite a joyous festival, marked by the custom of eating particularly tasty triangular cookies with (traditionally) a prune or poppyseed filling. They are supposed to look like Haman's three-cornered hat and thus are called "hamantaschen" or "Haman's hat". Here's a recipe:
Excellent summary of Purim, Katherine! Thanks. Now, off to make my hamentashen (like honey cake for Rosh Hashannah, they're delicious, but get made only once a year!).
ReplyDeleteExcellent summary of Purim, Katherine. Thanks. Now, off to make my hamentashen (as delicious as they are, like honey cake for Rosh Hashannah, my hamentashen, too, get made just once a year).
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