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David: How do un-walled cities celebrate Shushan Purim?

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David: I'm back again with another question...

Rabbi Marcus: My pleasure! What's on your mind?

David: How do un-walled cities celebrate Shushan Purim?

Rabbi Marcus: Well, it is a festive day, which is celebrated with a bit of feasting, though not as much as Purim proper. We omit the Tachanun prayer as we do on Shabbat and holidays. You can’t fast on Shushan Purim; and if there is a funeral, we shouldn’t know from it, no eulogy is said. You don’t say the special prayer for Purim (v’al hanissim).

Rabbi Marcus: Good news, though: if you want to get married on Shushan Purim, you can! (Though you can’t on Purim, since we don’t mix one joy with another. That’s why you can’t get married on a Jewish holiday. You have to give each celebration its own platform and date.)

[See also What is Shushan Purim?]

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Shabbat

(pl: Shabbatot). Hebrew word meaning "rest." It is a Biblical commandment to sanctify and rest on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. This commemorates the fact that after creating the world in six days, G-d rested on the seventh.

Tachanun

Sections of the prayers involving confession and asking for forgiveness. Tachanun is omitted from the prayers on the festive days of the Jewish calendar.

Purim

A one-day holiday celebrated in late winter commemorating the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from a decree of annihilation issued by Persian King Ahasuerus in the year 356 BCE.

David

King of Israel who succeeded Saul, becoming king of Israel in 876 BCE. Originally a shepherd, he became popular after he killed the Philistine strongman, Goliath. He is the progenitor of the Davidic royal dynasty -- which will return to the throne with the arrival of King Messiah.