purim
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Proper noun:
- A Jewish holiday commemorating deliverance from massacre: Purim is an annual Jewish festival that celebrates the survival of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from a plot to exterminate them, as recounted in the Biblical Book of Esther.
Usage
- Purim is observed by reading the Book of Esther (the Megillah), giving gifts of food to friends, giving charity to the poor, and enjoying a festive meal.
- The holiday is characterized by public celebrations, costumes, and noisemakers (called ) used to drown out the name of the story's villain, Haman, during the reading.
Examples
- Proper noun:
- The community gathered in the synagogue to hear the reading of the Megillah for Purim.
- Children dress up in costumes and eat triangular pastries called hamantaschen during Purim.
Advanced Usage
- "Purim spiel": A comical play or skit performed during Purim, often satirizing the story or contemporary events.
- The youth group put on a hilarious Purim spiel for the entire congregation.
Variants and Related Words
- Megillah (n): Specifically, the Scroll of Esther read on Purim. Colloquially, it can mean a long, complicated story.
- Hamantasch (n; plural: Hamantaschen): A triangular filled pastry eaten on Purim, symbolizing the villain Haman's hat or ears.
- Shushan Purim: The name for the day following the main Purim celebration, observed in walled cities like Jerusalem.
Synonyms
- Feast of Lots: An alternate name for Purim, derived from the "pur" (lot) that Haman cast to choose the date for the massacre.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "The whole Megillah": (Idiom, from Yiddish) Referring to a long, detailed, or complicated story or sequence of events.
- He told me the whole Megillah about what happened at the office. (This idiom originates from the practice of reading the entire Book of Esther on Purim.)
Noun
- (Judaism) a Jewish holy day commemorating their deliverance from massacre by Haman