Hamantaschen are a traditional part of the Jewish holiday, Purim. For those of you who don’t know, Purim is a celebration that commemorates the escape of the Jews from Haman, the Grand Vizier of Persia in the Biblical book of Esther. Purim begins at sundown February 23rd and ends at nightfall February 24th.Wondering why we eat hamantaschen on Purim? Check out this blog post for all the answers!
Purim is a holiday associated with tons of traditions that we love, including our dear hamantaschen. Outside of these sweet treats, one of our favorite Purim traditions is easily the Purim Shpiel. What started out as family-centered, holiday plays, became often-times professional, school and congregation-wide events centered around an entertaining (and sometimes inappropriate) play.
Today, the Purim Shpiel is most well-known and loved by students and congregants of Jewish day schools and synagogues. These range from puppet shows for toddlers to new takes on Broadway musicals with elaborate decorations, costumes, and of course, dancing and singing. Many congregations now host Purim carnivals for children as well. Like our roots here at Three Brothers, Purim Shpeils date back to the 1400s in Eastern Europe.
Now this is the type of Purim Shpiel we love! A synagogue in Ohio is celebrating Purim, Mamma Mia style! Beth Yeshurun, a local synagogue, is hosting their Purim Shpiel based on The Beatles!
The best part of the Purim Shpiel? The hamantaschen guests get to enjoy at the end! Though traditionally eaten only on Purim, we have hamantaschen year round in flavors ranging from the traditional poppyseed and chocolate to cherry to apricot and prune. Read this blog post to learn more about the delectable treat that we think deserves to be eaten every day! We hope we can make your Purim celebration even sweeter! If you already have memories associated with the sweet treat, be sure to tell us about it on our Facebook wall!