Purim, la fiesta judía de los disfraces

The Jewish holiday of Purim is a joyful and colorful celebration that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia, and reminds us of the way in which the Jewish people were saved from being exterminated by the Persian King Achashverosh, because one of his advisors, named Haman, did not tolerate the irreverence of the Jew Mordechai, who did not kneel before him. The story, narrated in the Megillat Esther (Legend of Esther), tells how she, being a Jew and one of the king's wives, revealed herself to him after weaving a palace plot to uncover Haman, the advisor, as a traitor and thus achieve the salvation of his people. Purim is one of the most joyous holidays of the Hebrew calendar, and is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar, which generally falls between February and March. One of the most distinctive elements of the Purim celebration is the playing of costumes and masks; it is an opportunity to remember the importance of unity in difficult times, as well as to share joy and love with friends and loved ones. The tradition also includes handing out Mishloach Manot (baskets of treats unique to the holiday), and eating stuffed confections called Oznei Haman (Haman's ears). This year, we celebrated Purim with costumes, colors, fun and we ate the traditional cookies called "Haman's ears". We also attended a play performed by the school's teaching and administrative staff, in which children and adults had a moment of laughter and healthy fun.