Purim Holiday Gift Guide: Story of Purim, Gift Ideas, and Much More

Purim is a Jewish holiday, celebrated as a lesser festival every spring. While it’s used to celebrate a historic turn of history, it doesn’t get a lot of mainstream media about it. We’ve taken the liberty to gather everything you need to know about Purim, answering important common questions that you yourself might have about the holiday, and provide some gift ideas to make your Purim holiday truly count.

We’re going to first dive into the story of Purim to give you some background information on the holiday, the traditions of the holiday, and much more. Let’s look at what this holiday has to offer and why so many people think it’s such a fun holiday to celebrate.

The Story of Purim

In the 4^th century BCE, the Persian Empire was ruled by King Achashverosh. He executed his wife, Queen Vashti, for failing to obey orders, which caused him to seek out a new wife. He held a beauty pageant in search of his new queen, where he discovered Esther, a Jewish girl who refused to reveal her nationality to the king at the time.

During this same time, a well-known hater of the Jewish faith, Haman, was the prime minister over the empire. The leader of the Jews during this period was Mordechai, who also happened to be Esther’s cousin.

Mordechai defied Haman’s orders, further reinforcing Haman’s hate for the Jewish religion and causing him to influence King Ahasuerus to order the extermination of all Jews. The date selected for this day of extermination was the 13^th of Adar, which was chosen by Haman through a lottery. Esther had still not revealed her true nationality to her king, but she rallied with her cousin, Mordechai.

While Mordechai Hatzadik gathered his fellow Jewish people to get them to pray, fast, and repent, Esther asked Haman and her king to join her for a fruitful feast. It was at this feast that Esther revealed to her husband, King Achashverosh, her Jewish nationality. The king proceeded to have Haman hanged, appointing Mordechai as the prime minister. As a last decree for his queen, the king granted all Jewish people the right to defend themselves.

More of the story of Purim can be found in Megilat Esther.

Frequently Asked Questions About Purim

If you’re unfamiliar with the holiday or want to learn a little more, we’ve collected and answered the most commonly asked questions about Purim.

What is Purim?

Starting on the evening of March 20th, 2019 and ending on the evening of March 21st 2019, Purim is a Jewish holiday centered around a festival. The festival is used to commemorate the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman’s plot to destroy them all in ancient Persia.

Why is it Called Purim?

In ancient Persian, “Purim” means “lots.” Haman threw in lots (lottery) to decide the date for when he would carry out his sinister scheme. Pronounced differently throughout a range of regions, it is most often pronounced “poo-REEM” or “PUH-rim.”

How is Purim Observed?

While there are no holiday work restrictions for celebrating Purim, many do dress up in holiday formal wear anyway. Working families try to take off for the holiday to focus on the holiday together as well as the four special mitzvahs, which are as followed:

1. Listen to the Megillah

The Book of Esther, aka the Megillas Esther, is one of the scrolls to tell the story of Purim. Those celebrating the holiday listen to the story twice: once the evening Purim starts, and then again on Purim day.

2. Give to the Needy

A special emphasis is placed on the less fortunate on Purim day. This is to reinforce Jewish unity, as a reminder that Haman attempted to kill each Jew – it did not matter of your status, class, role, or title. To fulfill this mitzvah, you’re to give food or money to at least two people in need or donate two coins to your synagogue if you’re unable to find any needy people.

Purim is one of the many times out of the year when we’re able to set aside our differences and come together as one people. We don’t verify their bank balance, we donate to whoever asks and to those less fortunate.

3. Send Food Gifts to Friends (Mishloach Manot)

The importance of community and friendship is emphasized and reinforced thanks to Purim. We reinforce this further by sending gifts of food to friends and family. This can be made especially easy with Broadway Basketeers, as you can have food delivered straight to their door without having the hassle of mailing out everything yourself.

On Purim day, which is March 21^st this year, send a package of at least two ready-to-eat beverages or foods to someone else celebrating the holiday. By tradition, men generally send gifts to men and women to women. This tradition is refered to as Mishloach Manos or Mishloach Manot.

4. Feast

Finally, the final mitzvah to celebrate the holiday makes it easy to celebrate the holiday right – through feast! A traditional, festive Purim Seuda (meal) should be celebrated with the whole family, a few invited guests, and plenty of meat, wine, and other foods to have a fantastic time.

Why is Purim Important?

Purim allows the Jewish people to commemorate the victory they achieved through Esther, one of their many queens. Customary to celebrate fasting the day before, it is to commemorate the praying to God and Esther’s people’s fasting the day before the feast. Purim is important because it shows a slice of history for Jewish culture that is still celebrated, even to this day.

What Food Do You Eat on Purim?

Challah is a traditional Jewish egg bread that is sweetened and braided to perfection. There are vegan, gluten-free, and other versions of challah, though the traditional is always preferred for the mass majority.

Likewise, Hamantaschen pastries are often tucked away inside gift baskets or served during family celebrations as symbolism for Haman’s hat. Other hearty foods like bean soups, beef brisket, and much more are staple traditions for the holiday depending on your family and region.

Do You Say, “Happy Purim”?

Instead of simply saying, “happy Purim!” the tradition is to say, “Chag Purim Sameach,” “Chag Sameach,” or “Purim Sameach.” These are all just variations of “Happy Purim” or “happy holidays,” so all are applicable.

Tips for Finding the Best Purim Gift

Giving gifts is easily one of the best parts of Purim. You’ll have so much fun finding a Purim gift basket or packets of goodies that are perfect for your favorite people – not to mention, you’ll be getting a few gifts yourself around the holiday, too! As decreed in the Shulchan Aruch, each person should be providing a gift comprised of two different elements to at least one other person, which means there will be plenty to go around. Let’s look at these important tips on how to find the best Purim gift no matter who you’re shopping for.

1 Make Sure it’s Ready-to-Eat

In most situations, it is frowned upon to provide a gift that requires preparation before eating. On the contrary, Purim gifts should be ready-to-eat, making gift baskets full of ready-to-eat food an easy and fun option. Baked goods, wine, fruits, cooked meat, and cured fish are all examples of types of foods that are ideal for a Purim gift basket.

2 Decide Who You’ll be Sending it to

Before you put all your mitzvahs in one basket (excuse the pun), decide first who you want to send your Purim gifts to this year. Deciding ahead of time who you’ll send it to will make it easier to get things they specifically like, as everyone is different. Find out what the person you’re sending a gift to likes so you don’t have to waste money on food items or treats that they don’t care for.

3 Decide What You Want to Say

Finally, the only thing just as important as the gift is the Purim card you send with it. If you go through Broadway Basketeers, we offer an easy gift message option that makes it simple and convenient to deliver your Purim gift with a hand-crafted gift message to go alongside with it. Cards themselves are not a requirement, as long as you can get the message across!

Gift Ideas for Celebrating Purim

While gift ideas for Purim certainly circulate around mostly food, there are plenty of food options to still decide on. Let’s break down the different types of gift ideas for Purim so that you can see the true range of options you have at your disposal.

Wine Gifts

Eat, drink, and be merry is an integral part of the Purim holiday. Wine is no stranger to this part of the holiday tradition, meaning, there are usually plenty of wine lovers that enjoy celebrating the right way. Wine gifts are an excellent adult gift to give during the holiday, and Broadway Basketeers provides a range of different wine gifts for you to choose from. Featuring only full-bodied wines that complement the accessories or snacks they come with, they pair perfectly with the Purim holiday. Broadway Basketeers also offers the option to engrave your bottle of wine for that perfect presentation.

Purim Wine Gifts

Chocolate Gifts

If you’ve got someone celebrating that’s not really into wine, perhaps a different type of gift basket, tray, or tower will suffice for them. If you know someone with an intense sweet tooth, for example, the chocolate gifts at Broadway Basketeers might be more viable options. There is a range of chocolate and nut trays, variety gift towers filled with chocolates, cookies, and other sweets, and much more to sate any sort of sweet cravings you might have for the holiday.

https://www.broadwaybasketeers.com/products/purim-gift-baskets/purim-luxury-gifts

Snack Gifts

There are plenty of individuals out there who prefer salty instead of wine or anything sweet, which is where the snack gifts come in. For the true snacker in your life, a gift tower or basket full of a variety of sweet and salty snacks is a dream come true. The perfect combination of salty, savory, sweet, and gourmet goodness, Broadway Basketeers has perfected the kind of snacks provided in the snack gift towers, trays, and baskets.

https://www.broadwaybasketeers.com/products/purim-gift-baskets/purim-gift-baskets

Fruit Gifts

There are two options when it comes to fruit gifts: dried fruit and fresh fruit. For those celebrating Purim in your life that try to stay away from the snacks that aren’t as good for you, fresh fruit is certainly an easy draw. Big fruit baskets like the Orchard Fruit Basket feature just about every fruit under the sun, including pears, mangoes, kiwi, pineapple, grapes, nectarines, bananas, oranges, and apples, all packed up in an attractive wicker basket.

Purim Fruit Gifts

On the other hand, the dried fruit basket offers an interesting texture and isn’t as seasonal as the fresh fruit baskets. There’s a gift basket fit for everyone, no matter what that person prefers, when you look at the many options that are available! If your loved one prefers dried fruit, there’s a wide selection of dried fruit trays, baskets, and other assortments that are sure to make their year.

https://www.broadwaybasketeers.com/products/purim-gift-baskets/purim-healthy-gifts

How to Add a Personal Touch to Your Purim Gift

With every purchase, Broadway Basketeers offers a customized, personalized card as a gift message option. That means every gift basket, tray, tower, or other items you send out to loved ones, coworkers, clients, friends, and family will all be unique and personalized to that individual. It adds to the magic of the holiday and really shows you put in just a little extra thought towards the gift.

The ”Gift Message” section will come up after you’re in the Checkout screen. You’ll add all the gift baskets you want to the cart, hit Checkout, then enter in your shipping address and select your preferred delivery date. Once those sections are completed, the “Gift Message” section will be unlocked, allowing you to personalize the gift to your discretion.

You can get ideas for a personalized message through popular messages people often send. Once you know what to write, write out the greeting for the message at the top, the actual gift message in the meat of the “Gift Message” section, and finally, your signature to top it all off. You can also add one free media message, meaning you can attach a voice recording, video, or picture to the gift message as well.

This personal touch you add to every gift basket is what makes the holiday so special. Broadway Basketeers tries to focus on individuality and personalization to give you the most out of your holiday gift basket-giving.

Handling Delivery

You’ll notice there are multiple delivery options as you scroll through the gift baskets available with Broadway Basketeers. It’s easy to order, then have it hand-delivered to whatever address you prefer at the delivery date you set. We’ll tell you how.

How to Choose Your Delivery Date When Ordering

1. Hit checkout once you’ve added the gift tray, basket, or towers that you want to the cart. You’ll be asked to either login or submit your email as a guest.

2. Input your shipping address and the “Delivery On” section will unlock.

3. Select “Choose a delivery date” and see which options are available. You’ll also be able to see how much shipping will cost for each option.

4. Once you’ve found your preferred delivery date, select it and the “Gift Message” section will unlock.

5. Submit the gift message you want your recipient to read and you’ll be taken to the next page for order review and payment.

Delivery Options

Free shipping is available for some products and for some shipping options. There are other shipping options that also help to take the hassle out of gift-giving. The following delivery options will be available, sometimes with or without free shipping also being available.

Economy

The gift is delivered within 6 days or ordering if “Economy Shipping” is selected as the preferred shipping option.

Standard

You choose the specific date you want the gift to be delivered to the recipient, though there may be an expedited fee depending on how close the date is. However, this expedited shipping fee will be specified for these dates before placing your order.

Express

This is our best AS SOON AS POSSIBLE kind of option. If you want the gift delivered as soon as humanly possible, express shipping is our ultimate expedited shipping option. Not available for all gifts, the shipping options will be specified before you place your order.

Conclusion

No matter how you plan on celebrating the holiday of Purim, use this day to commemorate the victory won by the Jewish people. Use Purim to think of the lives that were saved thanks to Esther’s decision to come forth with her true nationality and Jewish identity, and the celebratory feasts that have been performed in honor of that very day.

Celebrate the right way by not only giving gifts, but by sending gifts to those you love, those less fortunate, those in need, and anyone else you think that may benefit from a Purim gift. Whoever you decide to gift, we hope you’ll consider Broadway Basketeers for all your gifting options.