Purim in Israel is celebrated in memory of the miraculous salvation of the Jews who lived in the Persian Empire under King Artaxerxes in the 5th century BC.

According to the biblical book of Esther (“Scroll of Esther”), the king’s favorite Haman the Amalekite planned to exterminate all the Jews of the empire and got the king to issue a corresponding decree, but Queen Esther managed to shepherd them.

The name of the holiday comes from the word “pur”, which translates as “lot”.

A zombie carnival is taking place in Tel Aviv on Purim

On this day, Jewish families and communities hold festive feasts, theatrical performances, and carnivals. They send gifts to each other – small sweet pies “gomentashi”. It is not prohibited to drink alcohol (wine) on this day.

Of all the Jewish holidays, Purim is the most joyful. In many cities in Israel, people dress up in carnival costumes and walk through the streets in them. Tel Aviv has been hosting the Zombie Parade carnival for several years now. In general, Purim is a bit like the European “Halloween” or the February Mardi Gras carnivals.