( פּוּרִים) Purim

Good evening!

Never too late to learn!
Tonight, thanks to my Hebrew course and its interesting newsletter, I received some information about a Jewish holiday called Purim (פּוּרִים). As you maybe already know, in my opinion, it could not be possible to learn a new language properly without being informed about the culture. So let's talk about Purim!

http://rebmottle.com/2011/03/purim-going-beyond-knowing/

Purim is celebrated during the Jewish month Adar (אֲדָר) ,told to be the happiest month in the Hebrew calendar. Why? The reason is obvious: it marks the frontier between the winter and the spring! As if to Purim itself, it commemorates a story told in the Book of Esther: the deliverance of the Jews from their destruction by the Persian Empire and King Haman, who ordered to get rid by the blood of all the Jewish people in the kingdom. The pretendous submissive queen, Esther, managed to change Haman's mind; last mentioned gave them more rights, but ended hung on a tree with his sons.
The day he passed away is now considered as the waited salvation, a day full of joy and happiness.

Purim Masquerade

 Since then, Purim is celebrated in a festive air, with gifts sent to friends, charity given to poor people, festive meal, and other traditions added over the years, as masquerading (probably brought by the Italian Jews), making noise with Ra'ashan (רַעֲשַׁן) * when Haman is mentioned while reading the book of Esther, or even eating a pastry called Hamantash  (אָזְנֵי הָמָן, ozney haman) *, which is supposed, by its three-cornered shape, to remind Haman's hat.









Purim appart, I liked the article I received for another reason:
you inevitably know that languages are often very different from one to another, words and meanings included. You maybe know that, for instance, Finnish people use several words to mention "snow" (lumi, lumentulo, sataneed lumen määrä,...). In Hebrew, it is the case for talking about happiness! Eight phrases! But such a beautiful state of mind does not deserve less, does it? I guess that I like this language even more now hehe!

Have a good night, and "Chag Same'ach" to all my Jewish friends, of course!