Purim? Already?

I don't feel ready for Purim, though it started last night and lasts 48 hours here. I've already gone to one megillah reading. Three more to go.

There are a few ancient cities like Shiloh where for varous reasons the rabbis insist that there's something lacking in our history, so aren't fully fledged Shushan Purim celebrators, but for sure we should be, so they made up this nishta heen nishta hare status of two days. Regular Purim with brachot (blessings) and Shusan Purim with calories, costumes and... sore throats for the leiners, megilla readers.

And before the Purim spiel videos, here are some more serious Purim links:

Why was the Megillah named for Esther?

What Menachem Begin and King Achashverosh had in common

Have a truly joyous Purim, על הניסים Al HaNissim, For the miracles...
May they bring us to G-d's forgiveness and Redemption!