Most Jewish holidays were celebrated joyfully, but none equaled Purim in its festive spirit. It was considered the happiest Jewish holiday with food, drinks, laughter, and celebration, cherished by both young and old and long remembered after it passed.
Alongside the biblical Purim, many Jewish communities established local “Purims” to commemorate their own moments of deliverance from danger. These were celebrated annually on the date when catastrophe had been avoided.
In Belgrade, such a holiday was known as Purim de Bilugrado (Belgrade Purim). It marked the спасење of the Jewish community during the Turkish bombardment of 1862. The first Jewish community building in Belgrade, the Old Home (Mildar), built in 1860 in Dorćol on Solunska Street, served as both a community center and school. During the shelling, the entire community took shelter there. An artillery shell struck the roof but miraculously did not explode, and the community survived. This event became known as Belgrade Purim and was celebrated on the 19th of Sivan (May–June).
The tradition eventually faded, most likely after the destruction of the Jewish community during the Second World War, but it remains a powerful story of resilience and communal solidarity.