Purim is the most festive of Jewish holidays. Considered more of a Jewish national holiday and a strictly religious one, it is a time of great celebration. Because it is not considered a high holy day ordained by the Torah, most orthodox Jews are still permitted to transact business. As with all Jewish holidays, Purim begins at sundown the night before. This year Purim begins at Sundown on February 27.
The four main mitzvot of the day are:
- Listening to the public reading, usually in synagogue, of the Book of Esther in the evening and again in the following morning (k’riat megilla)
- Sending food gifts to friends (mishloach manot)
- Giving charity to the poor (matanot la’evyonim)
- Eating a festive meal and drinking wine (se`udah)
Jews of all ages enjoy the festivities of Purim. The tradition includes wearing Purim costumes and having parties complete with noisemakers, prizes and treats. For those who need a very secular explanation, Purim is like Halloween in reverse. Instead of going door to door receiving treats you go door to door giving treats.
Instead of wearing Halloween costumes, kids wear Purim costumes. The most common Purim costumes are the Queen Ester costume and the Mordichai costume. You can also find funny costumes like Dreidel Maidel and Menorah Man.
Costume SuperCenter has a wide variety of Purim Costumes for children at super low prices.