Pur and Purim

Pur (plural Purim; a Persian word for "lot") was the lot cast by Haman to determine the most auspicious day for the destruction of the Jewish people in the Persian empire during the reign of Ahasuerus (Esth. 3:7; 9:24). The feast of Purim takes its name ironically from Haman's lot-casting: the very method by which he sought Israel's destruction became the occasion for Israel's annual celebration of deliverance. Purim is observed on the 14th and 15th of Adar (February–March) and is one of the most joyful feasts in the Jewish calendar, marked by reading the book of Esther, gift-giving, feasting, and charity to the poor (Esth. 9:20–28). The feast commemorates God's providence in reversing Haman's genocidal decree through Esther's intercession and Mordecai's faithfulness.