The Jewish Community Center, Allentown, had its annual Purim Carnival on March 8 with games, inflatables, snacks, crafts, prizes, the PJ Library and story time.

There was also food to eat ranging from popcorn and snow cones to Hamantashen to Borekas which were sold by the food truck, parked outside the JCC.

Purim is the Jewish festival that celebrates the victory of the Jewish community in Persia, led by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, over a plot to exterminate the Jews planned by Prime Minister Haman and King Ahashuerus.

Esther, a Jew, convinced the king not to go ahead with Haman’s plan.

In commemoration of this event, Jews gather to read the story of Esther and to celebrate.

A tradition during Purim is for the children and adults to dress up as Mordechai, Esther, Haman or Ahashuerus.

The central themes of this holiday are joy and celebration and eating the traditional cookie called Hamantashen, shaped as the three-cornered hat of Haman.