Purim festival is held yearly in March (the dates vary according to the Hebrew calendar. The Hebrew date is the 14th of Adar).Purim holiday is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated according to the Book of Esther, commemorating the failure of the attempt to annihilate the Jews of the 127-state Persian Empire, which was ruled by king Achashverosh in the capital Shushan between 485 – 465 B.C.
1. Reading the Book of Esther in synagogues on the holiday’s evening and on the next morning in order to publish the miracle of the Jews being saved.
2. Having a merry Purim meal with a lot of wine.
3. Having Mishloach Manot – trays full of traditional sweets are exchanged among the celebrators.
4. Filling the cities’ streets with celebrators (locals and tourists) dressed in disguises.
The focuses of attention are the Purim parades (called Adloyada) that are held in most cities. The biggest parades are held in Holon, Tel-Aviv, and Haifa (booking a room in advance is recommended).
The parades start around noon. The participants, wearing different colorful dresses, are accompanied by brass bands, acrobats, jugglers, dancers, and floats with giant humorous dolls from the Book of Esther or from current events.
The streets are filled with joy, sound and color. It is a colorful fiesta for locals as well as for tourists.