Purim is a joyous Jewish festival commemorating the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th century BC, were marked for death by their Persian rulers. The story probably fictitious, is related in the Old Testament book of Esther. The most distinctive aspect of the synagogue service is the reading of the book of Esther.

On Purim, Jews are also enjoined to exchange gifts and to make donations to the poor. Through the years many non-religious customs have come to be associated with the festival, among them the baking of the "Hamentaschen" which is a three-cornered pastry filled with poppy seeds or jam (even though it is possible to fill the "Hamentaschen" with any other sweet filling).

The word "Hamentaschen" means "Haman's ears" in Yiddish, which is the language spoken by eastern European Jews, and is a mixture of the German and the Hebrew languages.

Courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica.