Israel celebrates Jewish holidays, such as Purim's Carnival this year, without restrictions.

On March 17, Jerusalem today celebrates Purim, one of the most popular festivals in Judaism. Great fancy dress parties are being held all over the country and its religious duty is to get drunk and drink without restrictions due to the coronavirus this year. Celebrated in a religious and secular way, this carnival holiday recalls a biblical episode in which Queen Esther intervened to save the Jews of the Persian Empire from genocide. This holiday begins yesterday at dusk in most parts of Israel, and in Jerusalem this afternoon, when it gets dark. Tradition indicates that one day should be celebrated in a walled city. In Tel Aviv, a liberal city on the Mediterranean coast, there were people in all kinds of costumes this morning, bars opened early and restaurants had a lot of people. Today is officially a working day in Israel, but the atmosphere in the streets and workplaces is festive. The absence of restrictions on Purim festivals this year contrasts with the past when governments imposed curfews to avoid crowds and an increase in COVID-19 cases. On this holiday, Mordechai, Esther's adoptive father, did not tolerate knees, It reminds me of an episode in the Book of Esther where Haman, the great vizier of the Persian Empire, asked King Ahasuelo to kill all the Jews in the kingdom. A Jewish woman, who was the queen of Persia, helped prevent genocide after mediating with Ahasuerus. The king allowed the Jews to defend themselves, and on the day of the planned execution, the 13th of the Hebrew month of Adal, the Jewish community succeeded in defeating the enemy. The next day, the Jews of the Persian Empire celebrated their victory and called the holiday “Purim”. On these holidays, heavy consumption of alcohol is common, especially in ultra-Orthodox communities, where the image of a drunken religion is a typical picture. This year, Israel, unlike the previous five, will not close checkpoints in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank. The measure aims to keep pace with Palestinians working in Israel and avoid tensions at the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in April. Jams/pies (Photos) (Videos)