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On the Biblical calendar, the month of Adar (אֲדָר) is the last month of the year counting from Nisan (during a leap year it is called Adar II). Adar is also the month of Purim, a festive holiday which is always celebrated a month before Passover (Megillah 1:4). During both Purim and Passover we celebrate God's deliverance of His people, and therefore Adar is considered the happiest of the months of the Jewish year: "When Adar comes, joy is increased" (Ta'anit 29a).
Like the month of Elul (i.e., the month that precedes Rosh Hashanah and the New Year in the fall), Adar is a time to make "New Year's Resolutions" and to turn away from sin before the start of the New Year of spring. The month of Adar is therefore a season given to us each year to begin preparing for the holiday of Passover.
The Four Sabbatot (four Sabbaths)
Traditional Judaism defines a "special Sabbath" as one that precedes (or coincides with) a Jewish holiday during the year. Four special Sabbaths occur just before the start of spring (i.e., Nisan 1), two before Purim and two before Passover. Collectively, these four Sabbaths are called "The Four Shabbatot" and additional Torah readings (Arba Parashiyot - four Torah portions) are read that relate to these two holidays. The names of these Sabbaths are Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zakhor, Shabbat Parah, and Shabbat HaChodesh. For more information about special Sabbaths, click here.
The Date for Purim
The holiday of Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar, the day after Haman's roll of the dice indicated that the 13th of Adar was most "propitious" for the extermination of the Jews. It is celebrated on the day after since it was on this day that the Jews successfully fended off their enemies and experienced the joy of deliverance (in Israel, Purim is observed a day later still (i.e., on Adar 15th) and is called Shushan Purim). The reason for these different dates of the festival of Purim is that the Jews of Shushan waged war on both the 13th and the 14th of Adar and observed the 15th as a day of festivity and rejoicing, but in the other provinces the Jews waged war on the 13th and observed the 14th as the day of rejoicing. Jews in Israel identify with the Jews of Shushan, and hence its celebration is called "Shushan Purim."
Since Purim must occur in the month immediately preceding Passover, on leap years (i.e., years when there is an additional month of Adar inserted into the calendar), Adar I is considered the "extra month," not Adar II. In such a case, Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar II (called Adar Sheni), while the 14th of Adar I is called Purim katan ("little Purim"), a minor holiday. Likewise, anniversaries of important occasions that occurred in Adar of a non leap year are observed a month later, during Adar II, during leap years....
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