Purim 2027 begins at sundown on Monday, March 22, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, March 23, 2027. The date falls in Adar II, because 5787 is a Hebrew leap year with two months of Adar.
Purim celebrates the rescue of the Jews of Persia from Haman’s plot, as told in the Book of Esther. It is the noisiest holiday in the Jewish year: the story is read aloud twice, Haman’s name is drowned out with noisemakers, children and adults wear costumes, and the day is built around gifts of food and a festive meal.
The 2027 date comes with a twist. Because 5787 is a leap year, the Hebrew calendar has two months of Adar, and Purim is kept in the second one, a month later than in an ordinary year, with a minor observance called Purim Katan in the first.
This page covers the dates through 2030, the leap-year rule, the four obligations of the day, and the customs.
Table of Contents
When is Purim?
Purim 2027 begins at sundown on Monday, March 22, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, March 23, 2027. The holiday falls on 14 Adar, or 14 Adar II in a leap year.
| Year | Begins at sundown | Ends at nightfall | Hebrew date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, March 2, 2026 | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 14 Adar 5786 |
| 2027 | Monday, March 22, 2027 | Tuesday, March 23, 2027 | 14 Adar II 5787 |
| 2028 | Saturday, March 11, 2028 | Sunday, March 12, 2028 | 14 Adar 5788 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, February 28, 2029 | Thursday, March 1, 2029 | 14 Adar 5789 |
| 2030 | Monday, March 18, 2030 | Tuesday, March 19, 2030 | 14 Adar II 5790 |
In 2028 the holiday begins on a Saturday night, once Shabbat has ended, so the first reading of the Megillah takes place later in the evening than usual.
Why Purim 2027 falls in Adar II
In a Hebrew leap year, Purim is kept in Adar II, the second Adar. My Jewish Learning explains that the calendar “operates on a 19-year cycle during which there are always seven leap years,” each adding “a second month of Adar,” and that “during a leap year, Purim is celebrated in Adar II.”
The 14th and 15th of Adar I become “Purim Katan (literally ‘Small Purim’),” marked with added joy but without the full observances.
| Observance in 2027 | Date | Hebrew date |
|---|---|---|
| Purim Katan | Sunday, February 21, 2027 | 14 Adar I 5787 |
| Fast of Esther | Monday, March 22, 2027, dawn to nightfall | 13 Adar II 5787 |
| Purim | Tuesday, March 23, 2027 | 14 Adar II 5787 |
| Shushan Purim | Wednesday, March 24, 2027 | 15 Adar II 5787 |
Hebrew year 5787 is a leap year and 5788 is not, which is why Purim lands on March 23 in 2027 and on March 12 in 2028, eleven days earlier.
The Fast of Esther and Shushan Purim
The day before Purim is the Fast of Esther, and the day after is Shushan Purim, kept in Jerusalem and other walled cities.
Chabad lists both: the Fast of Esther “on the day before Purim,” and, in Jerusalem and other walled cities, “Shushan Purim” on the 15th of Adar.
The fast moves when it would fall on Shabbat. In 2028, Purim begins on Saturday night, so the Fast of Esther is kept earlier in the week, on Thursday, March 9, 2028.
| Year | Fast of Esther | Purim | Shushan Purim |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Monday, March 22, 2027 | Tuesday, March 23, 2027 | Wednesday, March 24, 2027 |
| 2028 | Thursday, March 9, 2028 | Sunday, March 12, 2028 | Monday, March 13, 2028 |
What is Purim?
Purim celebrates the rescue of the Jews of the Persian empire from Haman’s plan to destroy them, as told in the Book of Esther.
My Jewish Learning describes it as “a joyous holiday that celebrates the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre in ancient Persia.”
Hebcal describes the same events as “the deliverance of the Jewish people from the plot of Haman, an official of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, as recounted in the Book of Esther.”
Chabad names the cast: Queen Esther, her cousin Mordechai, the Jewish leader, Haman, and King Ahasuerus, also written Achashverosh.
In the story, Esther is queen of Persia while keeping her Jewish identity secret. When Haman plots against the Jews, she reveals who she is at the risk of her life, and the king allows the Jews to defend themselves.
The name means “lots.” My Jewish Learning notes that “Purim means ‘lots,'” a reference to the lots Haman cast to choose the date for his plan.
The four mitzvot of Purim
Purim has four obligations: hearing the Megillah, gifts to the poor, gifts of food to friends, and a festive meal. Chabad lists them, and My Jewish Learning gives the same four as “(1) hearing the megillah, (2) giving gifts to the poor, (3) giving gifts to friends, and (4) feasting.”
| Mitzvah | Hebrew name | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Hear the Book of Esther | Megillah | “Reading of the Megillah (book of Esther), which recounts the story of the Purim miracle,” heard twice, evening and day |
| Gifts to the poor | Matanot la’evyonim | “Giving money gifts to at least two poor people” |
| Gifts of food | Mishloach manot | “Sending gifts of two kinds of food to at least one person” |
| Festive meal | Seudah | “A festive Purim feast, which often includes wine or other intoxicating beverages” |
In 2027 the first reading falls on the evening of Monday, March 22, and the second on the day of Tuesday, March 23.
Purim customs: costumes, hamantaschen and groggers
Costumes, triangular pastries and noisemakers are the customs that make Purim recognizable. Chabad lists dressing in costumes, eating hamantaschen and using groggers among the day’s traditions.
| Custom | Detail |
|---|---|
| Costumes | Worn to the Megillah reading by children and adults |
| Hamantaschen | Three-cornered pastries, “triangular in shape and hold a sweet filling” |
| Groggers or graggers | “Noise-makers” used to drown out Haman’s name with “whoops, hollers and sundry noise” |
The noise is tied to the reading itself: every time Haman’s name is read from the Megillah, the congregation blots it out.
Purim and Hanukkah compared
Purim and Hanukkah are the two festive holidays that come from events after the Torah, and both are kept with food and public retelling rather than with a fast. The table compares them.
| Attribute | Purim | Hanukkah |
|---|---|---|
| Source of the story | Book of Esther | The Maccabean rededication of the Temple |
| Hebrew date | 14 Adar, or 14 Adar II in a leap year | 25 Kislev to 2 Tevet |
| Length | 1 day, plus Shushan Purim in walled cities | 8 days |
| 2027 dates | Tuesday, March 23, 2027 | Begins at sundown Friday, December 24, 2027 |
| Signature food | Hamantaschen | Fried foods such as latkes and doughnuts |
| Signature sound | Groggers drowning out Haman’s name | Blessings over the candles |
What Purim is not
Purim is not Halloween. The costumes are worn to the reading of the Book of Esther and to the festive meal, not for trick-or-treating, and the day’s obligations are about giving food and charity.
It is not observed on the same date everywhere either: Jerusalem and other walled cities keep Shushan Purim on 15 Adar, a day after everyone else. It is not one of the biblical pilgrimage festivals, which are Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot.
Finally, in a leap year Purim is not kept in the first Adar: the full observance belongs to Adar II, and Adar I gets only Purim Katan, which in 2027 falls on Sunday, February 21.
Frequently asked questions
When is Purim 2027?
Purim 2027 begins at sundown on Monday, March 22, 2027, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday, March 23, 2027, according to Hebcal. The Hebrew date is 14 Adar II 5787. Because 5787 is a leap year, Purim falls in the second Adar, and Shushan Purim follows on Wednesday, March 24.
What is Purim?
Purim celebrates the rescue of the Jews of ancient Persia from Haman’s plot to destroy them, told in the Book of Esther. My Jewish Learning describes it as a joyous holiday marking the saving of the Jews from a threatened massacre. The name means “lots,” after the lots Haman cast to choose the date.
What are the four mitzvot of Purim?
The four obligations are hearing the Megillah, giving money to at least two poor people, sending gifts of two kinds of food to at least one person, and holding a festive meal, according to Chabad. My Jewish Learning lists the same four. The Megillah is heard twice, once in the evening and once during the day.
Why is Purim in Adar II in 2027?
Hebrew year 5787 is a leap year, so the calendar has two months of Adar. My Jewish Learning states that in a leap year Purim is celebrated in Adar II, while the 14th and 15th of Adar I become Purim Katan, or “Small Purim.” That places Purim Katan on Sunday, February 21, 2027, and Purim on Tuesday, March 23, 2027.
What is Shushan Purim?
Shushan Purim is Purim kept on 15 Adar rather than 14 Adar, observed in Jerusalem and other cities that were walled in ancient times, according to Chabad. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, March 24, the day after Purim elsewhere. The name comes from Shushan, the Persian capital in the Book of Esther.
What are hamantaschen?
Hamantaschen are the three-cornered pastries eaten on Purim, described by My Jewish Learning as “triangular in shape” and holding “a sweet filling.” Chabad lists them among the day’s customs alongside costumes and groggers. Fillings vary by family and bakery, with poppy seed, prune and apricot among the traditional choices.
When is the Fast of Esther 2027?
The Fast of Esther falls on Monday, March 22, 2027, from dawn to nightfall, ending as Purim begins that evening. Chabad places the fast on the day before Purim. In 2028 it moves to Thursday, March 9, because the usual date falls on Shabbat, according to Hebcal.
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