Purim falls on Friday this year, except in Jerusalem, where the holiday will coincide with the Sabbath. However, residents in the capital cannot carry out the mitzvot of giving gifts to the poor and sending food to at least two people on the day of rest and will do so on Sunday, making it a three-day holiday. The recital of the Book of Esther also cannot be read on the Sabbath, and Jerusalem will join the rest of the country in hearing it on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Complications also set in for people who will be visiting or leaving Jerusalem before the Sabbath, particularly concerning carrying out the mitzvah of a festive meal, which also cannot begin on the Sabbath. Travelers should consult their rabbis for instructions on how and when to perform the mitzvah as well as that of the giving gifts and sending food if they intend to return to their homes at the end of the Sabbath.