Is Purim still celebrated in Jewish culture, and, if so, what are the cultural implications of it?

The book of Esther details the heroic actions of Mordecai and Esther. By working together, these two characters are able to save the entire Jewish nation from basic genocide at the hands of Haman the Agagite. The plot against the Jews is ultimately foiled in an uprising that left over 75,000 of their enemies dead. The days on which the uprising took place became collectively known as Purim, after Pur (the name the “lots” used by the king to determine the day of the massacre). Esther 9:26-28 details the birth of the holiday: “ Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. There fore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews. nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.” It is this passage that spurred the question for my blog. Is Purim still celebrated in Jewish culture, and, if so, what are the cultural implications of it?

The passage in Esther that introduces Purim as a holiday takes an adamant stance that the celebratory tradition should be passed down forever. Indeed, the tradition of celebrating Purim is still alive and well in Jewish culture. The holiday is considered to be one of the most festive holidays in the Jewish faith. Partakers in the celebration are expected to party hard. The revelry associated with Purim has caused other cultures to dub the holiday as the Jewish Mardi Gras. The good times to be had on Purim are reminiscent of the celebrations that erupted when the Jews overcame their enemies under the guidance of Mordecai and Esther. Revelers today now enjoy drinking, eating and dressing up in all sorts of costumes to celebrate the holiday. 

Noisemaker used to blot out the name of
Haman during the reading of the Megillah,
and traditional Purim cookies.

However, the holiday is not solely about fun and games; there are several more serious traditions that accompany the parties. On the day of Purim, people recognizing the holiday gather together in synagogues to hear the story of Esther. Those in attendance take part in the tradition of blotting out the name of Haman by making all sorts of noise when the name is spoken in the story. This specific tradition helps tie the story of Esther to the modern-day celebrations that take place during Purim. In another example of the importance of the holiday, “the Talmud tells us that ‘whoever reads the Megillah backwards does not fulfill his obligation.’” In this case, the word “backwards” means that the Megillah (or the book of Esther) should by no means be read merely as history. The book should be read in recognition of its relevance in the everyday lives of Jews. 

Perhaps the most interesting aspects of Purim are not illustrated by the way it is celebrated. Instead, it is the historical parallels to the events that took place on the original days of Purim that are so intriguing. “The Pesach (Passover) seder reminds us that in every generation, there are those who rise up to destroy us, but G-d saves us from their hand. In the time of the Book of Esther, Haman was the one who tried to destroy us.” There have been multiple instances in modern times of a nemesis rising up agains the Jewish people and being defeated that hold special connections to Purim. The first person that comes to mind is obviously Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The party was obviously defeated, but not before it claimed the lives of millions of Jews. In 1946, during the Nuremberg war crime trials, 10 of Hitler’s top associates were hanged in punishment for their war crimes. This bears an obvious correlation with Haman’s 10 sons who were hanged at the hands of Esther and Mordecai. If nothing else, these similarities are most definitely eerie. However, this is by no means the only eerie connection made between the original days of Purim and enemies of the Jewish people in modern times. Joseph Stalin, who planned to deport all Jews from the Soviet Union, suffered a fatal stroke on March 1, 1953, the night after Purim. His plans to deport the Jewish people in the Soviet Union were never carried out as a result of his death. 

Without a doubt, these connections are interesting. But, according to many biblical scholars, an even more recognizable figure celebrated the feast of Purim. When Jesus Christ is present at an unnamed festival in John 5, many biblical scholars believe he was in town for Purim.  It is the only holiday that scholars believe could have fallen on the Sabbath during that time period, and the feast at which Jesus was in attendance just so happened to be during the Sabbath day. 

Between the historical connections and the modern revelry, Purim abounds in cultural implications for Jewish people. While it may not be the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar, it is definitely one that is alive and well. According to the Talmud, Purim will be the only Jewish holiday that will continue to be celebrated after the coming of the messiah.