The Jewish Holiday of Purim is Full of Joy: March 21, 2008

Judaism celebrates many holidays of freedom. The holiday of Purim is on March 21, 2008. But there's something about Purim that is extra special. On this holiday - on which we celebrate the success of Queen Esther in saving the Jewish people and the demise of the evil Haman - we are commanded to be joyous. In fact, we're supposed to make merry until we are drunk with joy. Literally.

One of things you'll notice during the Purim service is the laughter whenever the kids (and their parents) spin the grogger ( a noisemaker) to drown out the name of Haman when it is read. That laughter is a powerful part of the service. And laughter, if we do enough of it, is a powerful part of our lives. It not only makes us feel good to laugh, but it actually improves our physical health as well as our emotional well-being.

Laughter and Your Vital Signs

Experts calculate that by the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times a day, while adults laugh an average of 17 times a day. Kids seem to be on to something.

Recent studies show that laughter increases our physical welfare and our ability to fight disease.

People who love laughter seem to handle stress better in their lives. First of all, laughing has been shown to lower blood pressure. And there is a lot of talk about laughter boosting our immune system. Because laughter reduces stress hormones, laughter may even protect you from heart disease.

Laughter gives your body a great workout. Ever feel exhausted after a really wonderful laughing session? Laughter exercises your diaphragm and abdominal organs and muscles. And the best part: Hearty laughter can actually burn calories-estimated to equal about 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike!

Good for the Soul and Mind

You know how great a good laugh feels. It seems that humor and laughter is strong emotional medicine. It will elevate your mood, help you deal with troubling situations and can unite families and friends in difficult times. Seeing the humor in a situation-even ones which on the surface don't seem very humorous--can help change your perspective on a problem. Psychologists believe that laughing can create a very warm memory that we internalize and can experience over and over.

Making More Laughs for Yourself

There are a few things you can do to increase the laughter in your life. First, hang out with people who like a good laugh because Laughter is contagious. Next, figure out what makes you laugh and then go see movies or read books that are funny to you, according to the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. Finally, get good or better at telling jokes to make other people laugh.

So laugh as often as you can, as long as it's not at someone else's expense. The exception? Purim. When Haman's name is mentioned, twirl that grogger and laugh as hard as you can. That's an order.

Happy Purim!

Sources:

This article also appears at http://www.jewishfamily.com/lifestyles_a.php?text=/lifestyles/health/fill_your_cup.txt. Health facts were compiled from research at the University of Maryland Medical Center study on laughter and heart disease.