With hiking, the cultural activity allows for Israelis to know more about the local environment, since it varies greatly from the north to the south. Israelis place a lot of importance on knowing about their natural environment, and hiking is one way of exploring the different landscapes of their country. They also care about celebrating their history by holding festivals. Purim is an example of one such festival, commemorating how the Jewish people were saved from Haman, an official from the First Persian Empire, as told in the “Book of Esther” in the Hebrew Bible. In this story, Haman was planning to execute the Jews living within the Empire, but the titular character, Esther—who had become queen of Persia―reveals to the King that she is Jewish and this action, thwarts Haman’s plan. Esther’s actions within the story is what is celebrated annually to this day during Purim.
Hiking is definitely connected to the land―it allows for people to be appreciative of the local environment and to see natural sights that they would’ve not known of without participating in hiking trips and trails. Purim connects people to their history and culture.
