Purim begins at sunset on Wednesday, March 16. The story of the joyous holiday of Purim might appear somber at first glance: It tells of the near-destruction of the Jewish people as decreed by Haman, an adviser to the Persian King Ahasuerus. However, Ahasuerus’ newly crowned queen, Esther — who replaced Vashti when she was thrown out of the kingdom — is secretly a Jew.

Due to her courage and her eventual role in saving the Jews, the story of Purim is known as “Megillat Esther,” or the Scroll of Esther.

There are several common practices on Purim:

* We give gifts to poor people.

* We read the megillah, the Purim story.

* We eat a festive meal, or seudah.

* We give food gifts, called mishloah manot, to our friends.

*We eat hamantaschen, triangle-shaped cookies named for the villainous Haman