Fast of Eshther Shalach Manot And Purim Explained

Shalach manot are the gift items of food items and drinks presented by the Jews to other Jews on the occasion of Purim to increase the attachment and to ensure that everybody can make merry with the feast of Purim. Purim is the day when Jew people succeeded to liberate themselves from the conspiracy of Haman, the vizier of Emperor of Persia Ahasuerus. Haman had plotted to slaughter the Jewish however due to Mordecai and his daughter Queen Esther, the Jews were successful in getting freed. Hence this is the day to make merry. 
Purim is observed on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and a day prior to that, i.e. on the thirteenth day of Adar, fast of Esther is held. The fast is to commemorate the fast observed by Queen Esther and Mordecai along with the entire Israel. The fast is thought by the Jewish to increase spiritual strength to fight the foe. The conception of fast is that God presents valor to the person to get triumph in the fight. And so Israel conducted fast during conflicting with those who made a conspiracy to devastate them. Therefore a twelve-monthly fast is performed prior to the occasion of Purim in the memory of the celebrated fast. 
The fast is termed as the Fast of Esther as it was her concept to hold it. She suggested Mordecai to collect all Jew people in Shushan and tell them to observe fast for 3 days and suggested that she and her maid-servants too would not have any food within that period. But the fast performed yearly before Purim is not for 3 days. Moreover the fast is not conucted on the same day as the famous historic fast. In the history, Israel together with Queen Esther performed fast on the 14th, 15th and 16th days of the month of Nisan, which were right after the information about Haman’s plot. Haman, the vizier had written the letter about massacre of the Jews on the thirteenth day of Nisan. But the Fast of Esther is held on the thirteenth day of Adar in the respect of the historic fast. This is for the reason that fasting is forbidden during the month of Nisan. 
Though the fast has to be conducted just for a single day, certain people hold it for three days additionally, i.e. the coming Monday, Thursday and next Monday after Purim. Some other individuals conduct it on the night and day on 13th day of the month of Adar. This is for commemorating the celebrated fast, which was conducted for day and night. Carrying and lactating women and individuals having any illness are forbidden to fast. 
Shalach manot is presented on the festival of Purim and there are some traditions associated to giving it, for example 2 different kinds of foods have to be offered to one individual and two charity donations must be given to 2 separate persons. The food items and beverages are presented so that everyone can celebrate with the Purim feast to be organized during the later hours of the day. Either food or money equivalent to the cost of one serving of food can be given as gifts. The gift articles are offered also to display the unity of the Jews because Haman had considered that they are scattered and so it is not hard to massacre them. About the portions of food items, the convention is the part needs to be according to the position of the recipient as well as the sender. So a wealthy person needs to give a bigger size and even receives a larger portions than a deprived person.