Purim – end of Shabbat on Saturday, the 23th of February until Sunday, February 24th

Klezmer Greetings Purim Personalized Greeting Cards, Pkg of 3

An old joke goes something like this?

Child: What holiday are we celebrating today, Ima (Mother)?

Mother: The one where they tried to kill us and failed. Now, let’s eat!

Of course, the very thing that makes most jokes funny is the kernel of truth at their foundation. Purim is one of the holidays containing that very kernel of truth.

Judaic Star of David Gift Tag Great for Purim Gifts

In short, the story itself has four main characters:

• Ahashverosh – The Persian King, living in his capital city Shushan. He isn’t a bad man, just easily swayed by others
• Mordechai – The leader of the Jewish people at that time. Helps save Ahashverosh’s life by uncovering an assassination plot. Later slated for death, but rescued by:
• Esther (Persian name)/Hadassah (Hebrew name) – Mordechai’s niece who is chosen to marry Ahashverosh after he has his original wife, Vashti, is killed for refusing to dance (supposedly naked) in front of revelers at his lengthy (180 days) party.
• Haman – The true villain of the story is Ahashverosh’s Prime Minister, who tries and fails to have Mordechai and the Jewish people killed
  
  

  

  Purim Kippah or Yarmulke

You can glean most of the story from above. In the end, Esther/Hadassah begs Ahashverosh to save her life and the lives of her people. Of course there are twists and turns to the story. But, in the end, the Jewish people triumph, Haman and his sons are killed, and Mordechai becomes the new Prime Minister to Ahashverosh. You can read the story with more details here: http://www.purimstory.com/

Purim Card from Original Watercolor Pen and Ink drawing

Purim is preceded by the Fast of Esther, remembering the three-day fast of the Jews before their battle fought as part of that episode in Jewish history/lore. The Fast is usually observed on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. This year the Fast of Esther falls on Shabbat (Saturday), so it should be observed from the evening of Thursday, Feb. 21st, through Friday, the 22nd.

Purim itself is a joyful holiday filled with costumes, noisemakers, gifts of food, charitable giving and, of course, feasting. The representative food for Purim is a triangular shaped pastry with fruit, poppyseed, or nut fillings called Hamantaschen, named for Haman and representing the three-cornered hat he wore as Prime Minister.

Purim Earrings - Purple Hamentaschen Charm Earrings

On the evening before Purim, and on Purim itself, people go to the synagogue wearing costumes (especially children) and having noisemakers, usually in the form of greggars. The Megillah, or Book of Esther, is read and every time Haman’s name is mentioned, everyone “blots out his name and his memory” by shouting or using their noisemakers.

During Purim people make plates of goodies and deliver them to neighbors and friends. This is known as mishloach manot (sending of portions). Additionally, it is customary to make a charitable donation to the poor.

Finally, the holiday involves a festive meal with eating and drinking – celebrating one more victory in the history of the Jewish people.

Purim Judaica mixed media collage Simchat Purim - Happy Purim

Purim Katan - Little Purim - Jewish Holiday starts Feb 17 at sundown

When is Purim Katan? Purim Katan, in 2011, begins at sundown, in the diaspora, on:
Erev Shabbat (Thursday evening), February 17 until Friday evening, February 18, 2011 - I Adar 14, 5771.
Shushan Purim, therefore, falls on Shabbat.
In a leap year when, according to the Jewish calendar, there are two months of Adar, Adar Rishon (I Adar) and one in Adar Sheini (II Adar); we celebrate Purim Katan in the first Adar, Adar Rishon. The fact that Purim Katan is in Adar Rishon indicates that this year is a leap year, the idea of which is to reconcile the difference between the solar and lunar years.

Purim Yellow Jasper Grager Earrings

“Purim Katan” is also called the “fourteenth of the first Adar” in the Gemara. Therefore, when we choose to use the term “Purim Katan”, we are emphasizing that it has an aspect in which it is smaller than Purim, yet it comes first.

In the case of Purim the following day is Shushan Purim, and in the case of Purim Katan it is Shushan Purim Katan.
Purim Kattan is a microcosm of the larger Purim. It comes exactly thirty days before the "big" Purim and serves as an official reminder that it is time to begin preparing ourselves for the upcoming holy day. In essence, we have thirty extra days to put ourselves in the festival spirit.

Purim Hamantaschen Earrings

There is a significant connection between Purim and Purim Katan. As the Mishna teaches:

Megillah 6b ‘There is no difference between the fourteenth of the first Adar and the fourteenth of the second Adar save in the matter of reading the Megillah[3] and gifts to the poor’.

Jewish Holiday Gift Bag

Rabbi Eli Mansour teaches us about the effects of Purim Katan on our prrayers:

On these days we omit the Tahanunim[7] section of the prayer service, including the Viduyim.[8] We also omit the paragraph of “La’menase’ah” and “Tefila Le’David” which are incongruous with the festive nature of these days. Tahanunim is likewise omitted from Minha on the afternoon of the thirteenth of Adar Rishon. When the fifteenth of Adar Rishon falls on Shabbat, we do not recite “Sidkatecha” during Minha. (The fourteenth of Adar never falls on Shabbat, but the fifteenth can occur on Shabbat.)

The Code of Jewish Law cites an opinion that one should increase in festivity and joy, but rules that there is no obligation to do so; “Nevertheless, a person should increase somewhat in festivity... for ‘One who is of good heart is festive always’."

On Purim Katan there are no mitzvot performed. One can therefore feast, drink, and rejoice on every free moment of the day. Thus the idea of “He who is of a good heart rejoices continually” is seen most openly on Purim Katan.


Because Purim Katan falls on erev Shabbat when we are already beginning to expience the joy of Shabbat, suggests that 5771 is an especially auspicious time to maximize our joy by combining erev Shabbat with Purim Katan.

Source: http://www.betemunah.org/katan.html

 
We're getting ready for Purim and Passover. How about you? What are you doing?