Jews walk in costume during the Jewish holiday of Purim. (Reuters photo)

JERUSALEM, March 2 (Xinhua) -- A number of parades are ongoing in Israel from Thursday to Friday celebrating the Jewish Purim holiday.

The Adloyada Purim event is one of the biggest Purim parades in Israel. It took place in the city of Holon, south of Tel Aviv.

The theme of this year's Adloyada Purim event is "Heroes of our Childhood and Youth." It started from 12 p.m. local time on Thursday, marching from Sokolov Weizmann Street at the corner of Golomb.

Other parades will take place on Friday, when Purim is celebrated in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem will host a free street party for children and young people. There will be a costume contest, street artists, giant puppets, workshops, clowns and exhibits.

More than 5,000 preschoolers and teens are expected to attend the event. Smaller parades and street parties will also be staged throughout Jerusalem's neighborhoods.

Purim is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people from Haman's plot during the reign of the ancient Persian Empire, according to the Biblical Book of Esther.