No matter when you come to visit Three Brothers Bakery, you may notice a plentiful selection of our Hamantaschen. These treats are a popular favorite here, but you may find it hard to believe that this is not the case nationwide. We are the very rare American bakery that carries them all year long!
Most people only enjoy Hamantaschen around this time of year to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim – celebrated from Wednesday, March 23 to Thursday, March 24, 2016. This sweet treat directly ties into the festivities surrounding the holiday.
Hamantaschen are modeled after the hats worn by Haman the Agagite, who wanted to rid the Persian Empire of the Jewish people. On the evening of Purim, Jews go to the synagogue, where the rabbi shares the story of Esther, who stood up to Haman and helped the Jewish people escape his tyranny. In some congregations, while the story is read, people write the name of Haman on their shoes and stop on the ground when his name is read. They also spin Gregors, which are loud noisemakers, to help drown out the name of Haman.
This commemoration leads into the Purim Shpeil, a community play acting out the Megillah (story of Esther). Everyone celebrating wears costumes like the characters, which is not even the most fun part of the evening; the moment when everyone gets to eat the Hamantaschen.
Traditionally, the three-point Hamantaschen are made with yeast and filled with flavors like prune, poppy seed or apricot. The more popular version in America utilizes a cookie-dough base; we use the same base as our pie crust. Inside, we offer the old-fashioned fillings, along with modern favorites like raspberry, lemon, cherry and – our top seller – chocolate.
There are many options, but truly no wrong choices among the bunch! Whether you are feasting on a delicious Hamantaschen during Purim or another time entirely, we hope you will keep the story and history in mind.
Click here to order Hamantaschen from Three Brothers Bakery!