This weekend is the celebration of Purim, the most raucous, joyous holiday in the Jewish calendar.

Unlike many other Jewish holidays, it lasts only one day. Nevertheless, the holiday packs a great deal of revelry into a single day, with costumes, drinking, noise-making and sweet treats. Similar to other Jewish holidays, Purim also celebrates the Jewish people evading death at the hands of those who wanted to exterminate them.

The story of Purim appears in the book of Esther in the Torah, or the Jewish Bible. Esther was a beautiful, young Jewish woman who lived in Shushan, Persia (present day Iran). She was raised by her uncle, Mordecai.

King Ahasuerus (A-HASH-varos), the king of Persia, killed his first wife, Vashti, after she refused to perform a risque dance for the men dining at one of his banquets. 

After Vashti was killed, the beautiful Esther was brought to the king to become a part of his harem. The king liked Esther more than any of the other women, so he made Esther queen. Yet, the king didn't know Esther was a Jew, and her Uncle Mordecai told her not to reveal her identity.

Haman, the bombastic advisor to the king, wanted everyone to bow down to him when he walked through the city. Esther's Uncle Moredcai refused to bow down to anyone but god, which made Haman furious. Haman knew Moredcai was Jewish, so he decided to exterminate the Jews of Persia. He told the king that the Jews had to be killed because they were different, and followed customs that diverged from the rest of the population. 

Haman cast lots, which is what "Purim" means in Hebrew, to decide which day to kill the Jews.

Moredcai told Esther to tell the king that she is a Jew, and to speak on the behalf of her people. She risked severe punishment by going to the king without being summoned. She therefore fasted for three days in preparation, then went to the king.

He welcomed her, so she told him the truth about her identity, and about Haman's dastardly plot. The king told him of his love for her, regardless of her differing customs, and was horrified to learn of Haman's plot.

The Jewish people were then saved, and Haman and his 10 sons were hanged on the gallows that were prepared for Mordecai.

To celebrate Purim, Jews go to synagogue to hear the Megillah, or the reading of the book of Esther. Congregants usually wear costumes, with many getting dressed up as Queen Esther or the evil Haman. Many also wear modern costumes unrelated to the story of Purim. 

And every time Haman's name is read, the congregants swings groggers, which are loud noisemakers, to blot out the sound of his name. Congregants also yell and stomp to drown out the sound of the evil villain's name. 

After the service, congregants drink wine or liquor and eat sweet desserts, with the most popular Purim treat being hamantaschen. Hamantaschen are triangular cookies with sweet filling inside that are shaped to resemble Haman's three-pointed hat. The cookies are composed of a sweet dough, and have a filling in the middle in a variety of flavors, such as cherry, lemon, apricot, and even Nutella. 

During the Purim season, many Jews give shalach manot (which literally means "sending out portions") to friends and neighbors. Shalach manot are traditionally baskets of hamantaschen and other treats. Many also give tzedakah, or charity during Purim. 

Purim is celebrated on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar, which translates this year to Sunday, March 16. Like other Jewish holidays, it begins on Saturday evening then continues into Sunday, ending on Sunday evening.