Purim is not a Jewish Halloween. Although we traditionally dress up in costumes of Bible heroes, eat, and have fun, Purim is about as different from Halloween as butterflies are from bats.

Purim is a joyous occasion, but it has dramatic origins. The book of Esther tells us a story about the Jewish diaspora and Jewish life in the Persian Empire. Although king Cyrus fulfilled the prophecy and allowed the Jews to return to the Holy Land and to rebuild the Temple and Jerusalem, people could have responded more enthusiastically. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe challenges and hardships of a relatively small group of faithful men and women who decided to obey Elokhim and to restore the state of their forefathers.

Tu’B Shevat is the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. Tu’B Shevat is when we celebrate the New Year for the trees. It is a Jewish Arbor Day and comes just at the end of the winter rainy season in Israel, which correlates to sometime near February.

Dreidels are often used to play a game during Hanukkah to win chocolate coins also known as gelt. A dreidel has four sides, and each side has a Hebrew letter.