Purim
National Holiday in Israel
Purim is a Jewish holiday that remembers the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to destroy all of them as recorded in the Book of Esther.
After the destruction of the Judah, the Jews were taken into the captivity by the Babylonian empire. When the Persians took control of Babylonia, Haman, a royal vizier to King Ahasuerus, had plotted to wipe all the jews, but his plans were foiled by Esther and Mordechai.
The Jews then went from being the focus of al decree against them, to becoming the ones allowed to destroy their enemies by royal proclamation.
Purim is celebrated according to the Hebrew calendar on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. This commemorates the day following the victory of the Jews over the Persians in the battle which was on the 13th day of Adar.
Purim is characterized by public readings of the Book of Esther, giving mutual gifts of food and drink, giving charity to the poor, and a festive meal. Other customs include drinking wine and the wearing of masks and costumes.
In some parts of Israel, Purim is celebrated on the 15th of the month.
On Purim day, typically toward evening, a festive meal called Seudat Purim is held, often with wine as the prominent beverage; consequently, drunkenness is not uncommon at this meal. The jovial character of this feast is illustrated in the saying of the Talmud stating that one should drink on Purim until he can no longer distinguish between the phrases, arur Haman ("Cursed is Haman") and baruch Mordechai ("Blessed is Mordeca"). In Hebrew these phrases have the same gematria ("numerical value"), and some authorities have ruled that one should drink wine until one is unable to calculate these numerical values.
Wikipedia
Like other Jewish holidays, Purim will begin at sundown on the previous day.
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