This content centers the role of language in the iconic story of Purim. Each of these fun facts touches on a slightly different aspect of Purim tradition, from the Book of Esther to the names of traditional pastries. This content is a light and accessible avenue into the importance of language in shaping our everyday lives, both as individuals in the world and as part of particular Jewish communities. Several Jewish communities around the world are represented, including those from ancient Persia, early modern Italy, modern Eastern Europe (Yiddish), Ottoman Empire (Ladino), and the Caucasus (Juhuri).

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Of all of the holidays on the Jewish calendar, Purim is among the most fun to observe, celebrate, and tell the story of. The lexicon of the holiday, including characters, foods, instruments, and concepts like love, identity, and luck, helps to tell the story of the diversity of the Jewish Diaspora. We praise characters like Esther and Mordechai, whose names are today identifiably Jewish but are derived from Babylonian gods; we eat hamentaschen and debate the origins of the term; we swing groggers around without noticing that this seemingly basic English word is nowhere else to be found in our language; we study what the word pur means so we can understand our own story better. The tale of Purim is central to our Jewish story and especially relatable for Jews in the Diaspora, and through language we are able to tie our religious and ethnic practices to our historical roots.