How do Jews commemorate their funniest holiday in the nation? Unique cookies, without which they do not rotate and are offered to bake for you too.

“The essence of Purim is to celebrate life to the fullest. It is a fun holiday, you have to eat a lot and delicious that day, especially the traditional” Hantaashen “cookies. This traditional delicacy reminds us that the intentions of the wicked often go against themselves, and wise rulers are always helped to make the right decisions. We will also send “Hamantašen” cookies to heads of state, wishing wise and useful solutions for the people, “says Faina Kukliansky, president of the Lithuanian Jewish community ( Litvak).

Simas Levin, the religious leader of the Jewish community, recalls the very story of Purim, dating back to Biblical times, when the Jewish people were exiled from Jerusalem and lived in Babylon. Although the king had married the beautiful Jewess Esther, the Babylonian nobles and officials especially hated the unwilling Jews in the country. The vizier Haman planned to destroy all Jews and cast spells (פור) to find out when the time was right.

On February 25 (according to the Hebrew calendar, Adar 14) was chosen by lot to fulfill the verdict: “Purging means magic, only that fateful spell turned against the evils themselves. At the last moment, Queen Esther spoke with her husband and the Jewish nation was saved. The king punished Haman himself and his ten sons for dishonorable intentions. According to the word פור, “pur” is called Purim, and all events related to it are described in Megilat Esther (the book of Esther), explains S. Levin.

The traditions of Purimo: having fun, eating abundantly and deliciously, visiting neighbors and friends with gifts, putting on various costumes, have come down to our times. Purim is not a tragedy in itself, but a commemoration of the escape from it, which is why it is celebrated with joy and noise. This celebration is filled with joy, community, and the belief that the Jewish nation is strong and capable of enduring all adversity. In Israel, the celebration of Purim is a huge, colorful and fun carnival.

Although due to the quarantine, the celebration will only take place at home, Kukliansky invites Hamasashen to try making his own cookies and shares a recipe that his family has kept since the interwar period. “Probably the same recipe has been used for a long time and recalls the times when these cookies could be smelled not only in the old town of Vilnius, but also in many Lithuanian cities and towns inhabited by Jews. Although this delicacy can now be found in the Beigeliai store, it is fun to bake it yourself. Lithuanian “Hamantašen” is a triangular yeast biscuit, traditionally filled with poppies.