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.

On Purim, Jews celebrate a long-ago victory over hatred, but it's worth praying too for the frustration of some modern antisemitic plotters.