Purim Festival?

[Crown_of_Stars]

I know the origin of the Jewish holiday Purim, and that it is related to Haman and Esther and all of that…
I was wondering if Jesus would have taken part in observing it. It seems it involved dressing up in costumes, giving gifts, drinking wine, partying, and all for the celebration of the anniversary of the death of Haman. Somehow, I doubt very much Jesus would have celebrated this, and I’ve tried to research it, but I can’t find anything and, once again, thought I would just ask on here. The only reason I care to know is that I’m writing another little novella about Mary’s life, and I just wondered if Purim was something she and Jesus would have observed.

 

[GEddie]

I know the origin of the Jewish holiday Purim, and that it is related to Haman and Esther and all of that…
I was wondering if Jesus would have taken part in observing it. It seems it involved dressing up in costumes, giving gifts, drinking wine, partying, and all for the celebration of the anniversary of the death of Haman. Somehow, I doubt very much Jesus would have celebrated this, and I’ve tried to research it, but I can’t find anything and, once again, thought I would just ask on here. The only reason I care to know is that I’m writing another little novella about Mary’s life, and I just wondered if Purim was something she and Jesus would have observed.

If it is celebrated now, it would, IMINWHO, have been celebrated even more when it was only 500 years in the past and in the same part of the world.

The feast is not really a celebration of the man’s death, any more than Pesach (Passover) is a celebration of the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn or the drowning of his soldiers. Rather, it is a celebration of how the people were delivered from yet another extermination plot. As has been said, the OT feasts can be described as “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat.”



ICXC NIKA and Shalom!!!

 

[Autumn_Smoke]

There’s actually a good article on this from Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purim

It mentions a rabbi from the 3rd century, but seems to state the holiday was celebrated long before that (I didn’t read it too thoroughly)

Here’s a quote:

Based on the conclusions of the Scroll of Esther (Esther 9:22): “…] that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” Purim is therefore celebrated among Jews by:

Exchanging reciprocal gifts of food and drink known as mishloach manot
Donating charity to the poor known as mattanot la-evyonim
Eating a celebratory meal known as a se’udat Purim
Public recitation (“reading of the megillah”) of the Scroll of Esther, known as kriat ha- megillah, usually in synagogue
Reciting additions, known as Al HaNissim, to the daily prayers and the grace after meals

Maybe your story could focus more on the religious aspects, but you could also make it light-hearted. When they dress up in costumes, masks, etc., it’s to reenact the Biblical story in the form of a play. In today’s world, whenever the name Esther is mentioned in the play, the audience yells–“YEAH!!”. Then whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, everyone yells, “BOOOOOHHHHHHH!” It’s quite fun, actually. I’m sure Mary and Jesus had plenty of innocent fun in their lives.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

OP, we can certainly assume that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, as observant Jews, would have celebrated Purim, even if it is not mentioned in the Gospels. Your description of Purim as “dressing up in costumes, giving gifts, drinking wine, partying, and all for the celebration of the anniversary of the death of Haman” is rather disrespectful.

Read about Purim in the Book of Esther:

usccb.org/bible/scripture.cfm?bk=Esther&ch=

 

[Wesrock]

Some think that the unnamed festival Jesus was in Jerusalem for in John 5 was Purim. Apparently it’s the only minor festival that would have fallen on the Sabbath, as described in John, in the years he was active. And yes, Purim was not a pilgrimage festival that would require going to Jerusalem, but neither was Hanukkah, which Jesus went to Jerusalem for in John 10 in winter (Feast of Dedication).

 

[Autumn_Smoke]

Another thought…

as to the Joyous feasting aspect of the festival, with wine and good food…and whether or not Mary and Jesus would join in…

A good example would be the Wedding Feast at Cana, where Jesus and Mary were both there celebrating… the wine ran out and Jesus came to the rescue.

Purim was supposed to be a joyous celebration. Many feasts in the Bible actually command the people to rejoice before the Lord. They were solemn, observant feasts, yes, but included rejoicing before the Lord for all that He had done for them.

 

[jas84173]

Was Purim the one that was established in the book of Esther?

 

[GEddie]

Was Purim the one that was established in the book of Esther?

Correct. You’d get $400 if this were Jeopardy

The end of Esther describes how the people commemorated this day under the name of Purim, because their enemies had cast “Pur, that is the lot, to destroy them” but they were delivered.

ICXC NIKA