A Jewish holiday that commemorates the time when the Jewish community living in the ancient Achaemenid Persian empire were saved from extermination by a young Jewish woman called Esther and her uncle and adviser, Mordechai. People celebrate by exchanging gifts of food and drink (Mishioach Manot), donating to charity, sharing celebratory meals, reciting from the Scroll of Esther and other holy texts, and through other rituals, including costumes and parades.