Almost every Passover seder (ritual dinner) includes various ritual foods and other items. Nothing on the seder table is selected randomly; each item has its purpose and often its specific place on the table or seder plate.
The feast of Purim is a joyous occasion. It is celebrated each year on the 14th and 15th days of the Hebrew month of Adar. Hamentashen are eaten; noise makers are rattled by the children, and a fun time is had by all. It celebrates one of GOD's mighty deliverances recorded in the Bible. The account is found in the book of Esther, also known as the Megillah.
Purim is not a Jewish Halloween. Although we traditionally dress up in costumes of Bible heroes, eat, and have fun, Purim is about as different from Halloween as butterflies are from bats.
One of my favorite cookies ties into one of my favorite holidays (Purim) where you dress up and make lots of noise. Tasty vegan baked goods are hard to find, but these hamentashen are surprisingly delicious.
Purim is a joyous occasion, but it has dramatic origins. The book of Esther tells us a story about the Jewish diaspora and Jewish life in the Persian Empire. Although king Cyrus fulfilled the prophecy and allowed the Jews to return to the Holy Land and to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem, people could have responded more enthusiastically. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe challenges and hardships of a relatively small group of faithful men and women who decided to obey Elokhim and to restore the state of their forefathers.
