You might see some people dressed in costume this weekend having a good time. It's part of the Jewish holiday Purim.

Purim commemorates an event that took place in ancient Persia when the Jewish community had a close call with destruction. It begins on Saturday night, Feb. 27 and runs through Sunday at sundown

The Jews were saved by Esther, a young (and of course, beautiful) Jewish woman who married the reigning monarch Ahasuerus. With the help of her cousin/guardian Mordecai she was able to thwart the evil plot hatched by the King's advisor, Haman.

One of the few Purim requirements is to hear the Book of Esther, or the Magillah, read out loud. Tradition demands that every time Haman is mentioned, listeners make a tumult by shouting out loud, booing, hissing, stamping their feet or using noisemakers called graggers. Ever hear the expression "the whole magillah"—meaning a messy, involved and noisy, hard-to-define incident? The word Purim itself means "lots" and refers to a lottery Haman used to decide the doomsday date for the Persian Jews.

It's a fun holiday, kids and adults are encouraged to dress up in costume. If you're attending a Purim party,  you'll see many Queen Esthers, King Ahasueruses and Mordecais but few Sponge Bobs (although there are always some). It's also the one time during the year when it's a mitzvah, or blessing to get drunk enough to "not know the difference between Mordecai's goodness and Haman's evil."

Because of the dress-up element, Purim has been called the '"Jewish Halloween." It's been called the "Jewish Mardi-Gras" because of the parties and carnivals and the "Jewish St. Patrick's Day" for the drinking and carousing, However you choose to associate the holiday, it's a good and fun time. 

On Wednesday the 3- and 4-year-old students at the Hedwig Gruenewald Nursery School of Congregation B'nai Israel celebrated Purim with a family concert. This year CBI will be skipping a formal Purim carnival because of the construction.

Rochelle Baron, the pre-school director, said, "The children are so excited to be dressed in costumes and to perform for their families."

The classes had been practicing for the Purim performance for about three weeks, but the time invested was actually a bit shorter than that because of snow days and winter break.

B'nai Israel will have two Magillah readings on Saturday at 7 p.m. for young kids and 8 p.m. for the general congregation. "A Dr. Seuss-Shan Purim Shpiel" will be held on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in the Millburn Middle School cafeteria. There will be a Purim concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. with Mama Doni and her band. Tickets are $12.50 at the door with a maximum of $50 for a family.

B'nai Jeshurun is reading the Magillah on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. for grades two and older. There will be a  Purim Shpiel 11 a.m. for ECC, kindergarten and grade one families, and a Purim Carnival at noon for the Jeshrun Couples' Club.