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How is the Book of Esther observed during Purim?

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Circular diagram of the Jewish religious year showing Hebrew months around the outer ring and Gregorian months inside, with major holidays and fasts such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Passover, and Purim labeled with their dates. — Jewish religious year The months and holidays of the Jewish religious year.

During the festival of Purim, the Book of Esther is read in the synagogue as one of the five Megillot, which are sacred scrolls recited on specific holidays. The reading of this book is a central observance prescribed by the Mishna.12

During the recitation of the story, the congregation engages in a specific tradition: whenever the name of the villain, Haman, is mentioned, those present shake special rattles or noisemakers to symbolically blot out his name. This practice highlights the jubilant and often pageantry-filled nature of the holiday, which commemorates the rescue of the Jewish people from Haman’s plot to annihilate them.31