Get your party on; Purim is almost here! The holiday is one of the most joyous and fun on the Jewish calendar, complete with everything from feasts to costumes to wine, all in honor of Queen Esther and her loyal cousin Mordecai rescuing the Jews from slaughter in the Persian Empire.

French Jews will celebrate the festivities of Purim. Fasting, prayers, readings, meals, and costumes—these two days allow practitioners to commemorate a special time in the Jewish calendar.

Purim is a festival when Jews remember Esther, who was the Queen of Persia more than 2,000 years ago. She was Jewish but her husband, the King, didn't know this. The King's chief minister was Haman, a man who hated the Jews.