Purim is certainly full of fun, with festivities involving costumes, skits and songs, noisemakers, and food gifts!
Purim is a joyful holiday that honors and affirms Jewish survival and resilience throughout history.

The main communal event consists of a public reading of the Book of Esther (M'gillat Esther), which relates the story of the holiday: Under King Ahashverosh's reign, Haman, the king's adviser, plans the extermination of all Jews in Persia.
His plot is thwarted by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who eventually rescue the Jews of Persia from annihilation.
The m'gillah reading is usually a rowdy affair, punctuated by booing and noise-making as Haman's name is read aloud.

Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like Hanukkah, is viewed as a minor festival according to Jewish custom, but has been elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman has come to symbolize every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed. The significance of Purim lies not so much in how it began, but in what it has become: a thankful and joyous affirmation of Jewish survival.

In the Book of Esther, we read that Purim is a time for "feasting and merrymaking," as well as for "sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor" (Esther 9:22). In addition to reading the M'gillah (Book of Esther), celebrants dress in costumes, have festive parties, perform Purim spiels, send baskets of food (mishloach manot) to friends, and give gifts to the poor (matanot l'evyonim).

CELEBRATE AT HOME

There are many fun Purim activities to help get excited about the holiday. Exchanging mishloach manot or baking hamantashen are traditional, or you could just prepare your Purim costume!