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Hamentashen are little triangular-shaped pastries which we eat on Purim. In Hebrew, they're called Haman's Ears, in a mocking reference to the villain in the Scroll of Esther.
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What do the three corners on a hamentashen symbolize?
The hat of the evil Haman...
What three-cornered cookie is traditionally eaten during Purim?
It is called a "hamentashen" in Yiddish and "Ozney Haman" in Hebrew and is traditionally filled with poppy seed. Though nowadays it can be filled with anything - including jelly or chocolate.
How is festival related to food?
Food has been associated with celebration in every culture around the globe. Primarily a harvest tradition to celebrate the bounty, food also celebrates births, deaths, anniversaries and other important cultural and social milestones.
What is the holiday Purim?
Purim is the Jewish celebration of how Queen Esther saved the Jewish people of Shushan. (SP?) One of my favorite sayings about the Jewish holidays is this: "They tried to kill us. They failed. Let's eat." So, it started out with King Ahashuarus, the king of Shushan. His queen was named Vashti. This is a very basic explanation of her story. King A was not known for being particularly smart, but he was known for throwing huge and lavish parties. For an important party, he wanted Vashti to come down and dance for his guests (naked....) She refused. Yay, women's rights! Except not yay. King pitches a fit, and she gets banned from Shushan. So now the king needed a new queen. There is some sort of beauty contest (obviously they didn't call it that, but you get the idea.) Esther ends up winning. She becomes queen, but doesn't bother to tell the king that she is Jewish. (Cause why should that be a defining aspect of their relationship? This one is all about beauty and power!) Her cousin/uncle, nobody really knows for sure, Mordechai, wants to protect Esther, so he sometimes keeps in touch with her via the palace gates. Somehow, someway, he ends up hearing a plot to assassinate the king. He tells the king, and the plotters die instead. This wins him some brownie points, and he gets promoted to palace guard. OK, so this is where the bad guy comes in. His name is Haman, and he is the king's royal advisor. He believes that he has supreme power, and that all the commoners should bow down to him. Mordechai refuses, because he is very Jewish, and Jews only bow to God. Haman is furious with this response, and tells the king that a group of people (the Jews) in his kingdom are disloyal to him. The king, under the influence of Haman (and probably some alcohol) agrees that all the Jews in Shushan should be hanged. Mordechai overhears this plan. (because by now, he is a master eavesdropper.) He tells Esther that she must tell the king she is Jewish. After much reluctance, and possibly singing, etc., she agrees. She does it all schmancily of course. She throws some parties, and invites Haman. At the last one, she tells the king that she is very frightened. The king as why, she says she is terrified for herself and her people, and when the king asks who could possibly make her feel this way, she points at Haman. He gets hung instead, and everyone lives happily ever after. Except Haman. And Vashti. And the palace guards. Fortunately, for modern Jews today, we get to eat hamentashen. It's a yummy little triangle cookie with filling in it. It is supposed to represent Haman's hat, which was famous for having three corners. On Purim, kids dress up as characters from the story and there's usually some sort of fast involved. (not for me though.) I am a Reform Jew, and this is how I remember it being told growing up. I think the basic facts are right. Sorry, this is probably a lot longer than you needed, but I hope it helped!
How do Jewish people celebrate Purim?
Purim is the most festive of all the Jewish holidays. It occurs on the 14th and 15th days of Adar. Purim is like Mardi Gras for the Jews. Children and adults dress up in costumes, give baskets of food and drink alcohol (depending on local law) . The Book of Esther is read in the synagogue, and each time the villain Haman's name is mentioned, children use noisemakers to "drown out" the name. On the Sunday before Purim, many congregations hold a carnival as well. Adult "Persian" masquerade parties are also becoming increasingly popular. You are supposed to drink enough to not tell the difference between Blessed be Mordecai and Cursed be Haman. Mordecai and Haman are two character in the Book of Esther which we read on Prum.
What do Jewish people eat?
Many Jews eat what is called Kosher food; it is much the same as what other people eat, however, they can only eat fish that have fins and scales and land animals that have split hooves and chew the cud (Deuteronomy ch.14). Fowl have other restrictions. Land animals have to be slaughtered in a certain way by a person trained specifically in the correct way; this person is called a 'shochet'. There are a large number of Jews do not keep kosher, though. They eat the same food other people in their countries of residence do.
