With costumes, spiels and lots of drinking, Purim, which in 2021 starts at sundown on Thursday, February 25th, is one of Judaism's most raucous holidays. You might know about beautiful Esther thwarting evil Haman's plans, the custom of getting drunk and what hamantaschen are. But we're guessing there's a few things about this holiday that might surprise you.

1. Esther was a vegetarian (or at least a flexitarian).

According to midrash, while Queen Esther lived in the court of King Ahasuerus, she followed a vegetarian diet consisting largely of legumes so that she would not break th...