An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim reads the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

An ultra-Orthodox child wearing costume for Purim attends a reading of the Megillat Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim at a synagogue in Ashdod, southern Israel, on March 16, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Ultra-Orthodox Jews read the Scroll of Esther during the Jewish holiday of Purim in Meron, northern Israel, on March 16, 2022. Purim is a Jewish holiday commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Jewish biblical story.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

People buy costumes ahead of the Jewish holiday of Purim at a shopping center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 14, 2022. Throughout the centuries, Purim has been celebrated to mark the salvation of Jews from the ancient Persian Haman's genocidal plot. It has been traditionally a happy, carnival-like holiday for the Jews.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
Many Israelis put on costumes and celebrate Jewish Purim.

Throughout the centuries, Purim has been celebrated to mark the salvation of Jews from the ancient Persian Haman's genocidal plot. It has been traditionally a happy, carnival-like holiday for the Jews.

In Israel, reading the Megillat Esther, exchanging gifts of food and drink, and handing out food parcels to the poor are among the activities to celebrate the holiday, which often falls in March.