What is the Feast of Purim?
Netivyah International
The Feast of Purim is a joyous Jewish holiday that celebrates the miraculous survival of the Jewish people in the ancient Persian Empire. It marks the events recorded in the biblical Book of Esther, when a plot to annihilate the Jewish population was overturned by God's unseen hand.
Today, Purim is observed with public readings of the Esther scroll, giving to the poor, exchanging gifts of food, wearing costumes, and sharing a festive meal. For followers of Yeshua (Jesus), the holiday stands as a powerful reminder of God's covenant faithfulness. Even when He seems silent or hidden, He is actively working to preserve His people and fulfill His promises.
The story of Purim in Persia
The history of Purim takes place in Shushan, the capital of the ancient Persian Empire. The biblical account begins with the Persian king, Achashverosh, who deposes his queen, Vashti, after she refuses a royal command. To find a new queen, young women from across the empire are brought to the palace.
Among them is a young Jewish orphan named Hadassah, who goes by the Persian name Esther. She was raised by her cousin Mordechai, a Jewish man whose ancestors had been taken captive from Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The Book of Esther specifically traces Mordechai's ancestry to Kish, a Benjamite. Esther finds favor with the king and is crowned queen, but she keeps her Jewish identity a secret on Mordechai's advice.
Trouble begins when the king promotes a man named Haman to be his highest official. Haman is an Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekites. This detail is not just historical trivia. It takes us back to an ancient, bitter conflict. In Deuteronomy 25, God commanded Israel to blot out the remembrance of Amalek because they ruthlessly attacked the weakest Israelites in the wilderness. Generations later, King Saul (also a Benjamite from the line of Kish) failed to carry out the command to defeat the Amalekite king, Agag. Now, the descendant of Agag and the descendant of Kish are face to face in Persia.
When Mordechai refuses to bow down to Haman, Haman's anger boils over. He decides it is not enough to punish Mordechai. He wants to wipe out all the Jewish people in the entire Persian Empire.
Haman convinces King Achashverosh that the Jewish people are a dangerous, rebellious minority. He receives the king's signet ring to issue a royal decree. Haman casts lots, called "pur" in ancient Persian, to determine the day of annihilation. The lot falls on the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. You can explore more about this specific historical backdrop in our teaching on Purim, Persia, and the Promises of God.
The fast of Esther and the turning of the tables
When Mordechai learns of the decree, he tears his clothes and puts on sackcloth. He sends a message to Queen Esther, warning her that she will not escape the slaughter just because she lives in the palace. He suggests that perhaps she was made queen "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14).
Esther agrees to approach the king uninvited, a crime punishable by death. First, she asks Mordechai to gather all the Jews in Shushan to fast for three days. Today, observant Jewish communities remember this by keeping the Fast of Esther (Ta'anit Esther) on the day before Purim.
Esther approaches the king, finds favor, and invites him and Haman to two successive banquets. Between these banquets, the king suffers a sleepless night. He asks for the royal chronicles to be read to him and discovers that Mordechai previously saved his life from an assassination plot but was never rewarded. The king forces Haman to publicly honor Mordechai in the streets of Shushan.
At the second banquet, Esther reveals her Jewish identity. She exposes Haman's plot to murder her and her people. The king is furious and orders Haman to be executed on the very gallows Haman had built for Mordechai. Because a royal decree could not be revoked according to the law of the Medes and Persians, the king issues a new decree allowing the Jewish people to defend themselves on the 13th of Adar. They are victorious, and the line of Amalek is finally defeated.
When was Purim first celebrated?
The Feast of Purim was first celebrated immediately following these events, around the 5th century BC. Mordechai and Esther wrote letters to all the Jewish people in the provinces, establishing the 14th and 15th days of Adar as permanent days of feasting and joy.
The dates reflect how the fighting ended. In the outer provinces, the Jewish people rested and celebrated on the 14th of Adar. But in the walled capital city of Shushan, the conflict lasted an extra day, so they rested and celebrated on the 15th.
Because of this, Jewish law established a unique rule. In unwalled cities, Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar. But in cities that have been walled since the days of Joshua, such as Jerusalem, the holiday is celebrated one day later on the 15th of Adar. This is known as Shushan Purim.
How Jewish communities observe the feast
The Book of Esther gives specific instructions on how to observe Purim: "They were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions of food to each other and giving gifts to the poor" (Esther 9:22). Over the centuries, Jewish tradition has developed four main practices for the holiday.
First is the reading of the Megillah. The word megillah means scroll in Hebrew. In the synagogue, the entire Book of Esther is read aloud from a handwritten parchment scroll. This is an interactive and noisy event. Every time the reader says the name of Haman, the congregation boos, stomps their feet, and spins wooden noisemakers called ra'ashanim (or graggers in Yiddish). The goal is to completely blot out the name of the enemy.
Second is the giving of gifts. Friends and neighbors exchange baskets of food and drink, a tradition known as Mishloach Manot (sending of portions). The baskets must contain at least two different kinds of ready-to-eat food. You can learn more about this practice in our guide to the tradition of Mishloach Manot. It is also a strict commandment to give charity to at least two poor individuals on Purim day, ensuring everyone has enough to celebrate.
Third is the festive meal. Families gather for a large feast with meat and wine. A famous Purim treat is the Hamantaschen, or in Hebrew, Oznei Haman (Haman's ears). These are triangular cookies filled with poppy seeds, fruit preserves, or chocolate. The three corners are often said to represent the three patriarchs who weakened Haman's power, or perhaps a three-cornered hat Haman wore.
Fourth is the tradition of costumes. Children and adults dress up in disguises. You might see Queen Esthers and Mordechais walking the streets, along with modern characters. The custom of wearing masks and costumes points to the way God's hand was hidden throughout the story, and how Esther hid her true identity until the exact right moment.
The hidden face of God
The Book of Esther is famous for a surprising reason: the name of God is never mentioned in its ten chapters.
Joseph Shulam often points out that this is not an accident. In Jewish thought, this concept is called hester panim, which translates to the hiding of the face. There are times in history when God seems entirely absent. You can read more about this theological concept in our article on Hester Panim: When God Hides His Face.
Yet, even though God's name is not written in the text, His fingerprints are everywhere. A king happens to depose his queen. A Jewish girl happens to be chosen to replace her. Mordechai happens to overhear an assassination plot. The king happens to have insomnia on the exact night before Haman plans to execute Mordechai. None of this is luck. It is divine providence working quietly behind the scenes.
What Purim means for followers of Yeshua
For Christians, Purim is a time to reflect on God's unbroken promises to Israel. Haman was not just a political enemy. He was driven by an ancient, spiritual hatred aimed at destroying the people through whom God promised to bring salvation.
If Haman had succeeded on the 13th of Adar, the Jewish people would have been wiped out. The tribe of Judah would have been destroyed. The Messiah, Yeshua, would not have been born five centuries later in Bethlehem. God's defense of Israel in Persia was also the defense of His redemptive plan for the entire world.
As a Jewish man living in the first century, Yeshua grew up with the story of Esther. He would have known the joy of Purim, the reading of the scroll, and the giving of gifts to the poor. When we understand this feast, we understand the resilient hope of the community Yeshua belonged to.
A simple way to mark Purim at home
You do not need to be Jewish or live in Israel to draw meaning from Purim. If you want to mark the day with your family, keep it simple and focus on the biblical story.
Gather your family and read the Book of Esther out loud. You can use our Esther Bible Study Guide to help explain the context as you read. Give the children pots and wooden spoons, and tell them to make as much noise as possible every time you read the name Haman.
Bake some triangular cookies together to remember the defeat of the enemy. Then, fulfill the biblical command of Esther 9:22. Pack a small basket with the cookies, some fruit, and a drink, and leave it on a neighbor's porch just to bless them.
As you read the story, look for the quiet coincidences. Ask yourself where God might be working behind the scenes in your own life, even when His presence is not immediately visible.
Questions people ask
What is the Feast of Purim?
The Feast of Purim is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to destroy them in the ancient Persian Empire. The story is recorded in the biblical Book of Esther. It is observed with feasting, reading the Esther scroll, wearing costumes, and giving to the poor.
When was Purim first celebrated?
Purim was first celebrated in the 5th century BC, immediately following the events described in the Book of Esther. Mordechai and Queen Esther established the 14th and 15th of the Hebrew month of Adar as permanent days of rejoicing and feasting for the Jewish people.
What does Hari Raya Purim mean?
"Hari Raya" is a phrase in Indonesian and Malay that translates to "holiday" or "festival." Therefore, Hari Raya Purim simply refers to the Feast of Purim, recognizing it as the biblical holiday of Esther and Mordechai in the Persian Empire.
Who was the king during Purim?
The king during the Purim story was Achashverosh, who ruled over the vast Persian Empire from India to Ethiopia. Most historians identify him as King Xerxes I, who reigned in the 5th century BC.