Let’s Learn About Purim

Do you know about the holiday of Purim? It’s one that is thousands of years old, and is celebrated in the Hebrew month of Adar. The date can land on our calendar between February and March. This year in homes all over the world, it will begin at sundown on March 9th and continue until March 11th.

Purim (the Feast of Lots) is the celebration of the deliverance of the Persian Jews, from a plot that would have wiped them out. God worked through Esther and Mordecai to reveal the plot to the King, so that a new law could be written so that the Jewish people could defend themselves.

Do you want to take a day out in your homeschool and learn about this holiday?

I suggest you start with the story of Esther. This is the main event that occurs on Purim. The Megillah (or scroll) of Esther is read in the synagogue. Your children could even make some scrolls out of paper bags and paper towel rolls!

I personally love the book series Chronicles of Faith. They have all sorts of historical stories of people who trusted and put their faith in God during tough times. The Esther book in this series does not disappoint. Written for ages 8 – 11, it begins with Esther before she is taken to King’s Xerxes palace, follows her through the harrowing possibility of her people being exterminated, her faith and courage to approach the king, all the way to the end result. Which today is remembered by Purim!

Are you interested in lapbooking? Na’aseh Venilmad Blog has some samples for you, to start you off with a Purim lapbook.

The Holiday Spot has some crafts to make, including a Queen Esther crown for the girls, and Paper Plate Tambourines.

Share the joy of the holiday with others. One of the traditional activities of Purim is giving food baskets to friends and families. A traditional gift basket might include a small bottle of grape juice, some hamantashen, and candy or dried fruit.

Whether you decide to go all out, and have a parade where your children dress in costumes and masks as the people in Israel do, or do quieter activities like color, it should be fun to spend some time learning about this holiday and the history and culture that surround it.

Tammy’s blog is located at Three Different Directions. She has many reviews of different products (many of them homeschool curriculum) there. She is also known to be having a giveaway on occasion! Click the “review” or “giveaway” links at the top of her blog to find them.