Children dressed as Top Gun pilots, parrots and Cannon cameras as they celebrated the ancient Jewish festival of Purim today. 

The streets of London and Manchester were awash with colour as hundreds of Jewish children were seen dressed up in celebration of the centuries-old tradition.

The ancient festival dates back some 2,500 years and commemorates the survival of the Jewish people who had been marked for death in ancient Persia.

It celebrates the courage of Esther, Queen of Persia, who stopped a genocide of her people after the king of Persia’s adviser, Haman, hatched a plan to murder all Jewish people.

The event sees people in Israel go to work wearing costumes and dress up to go to the synagogue.

A Jewish family celebrates the holiday of Purim, from the Book of Esther, in London today 

Jewish children dressed in costumes pose for a picture as they celebrate the annual holiday of Purim in Manchester today 

Jewish boys dance and sing on a bus as they celebrate the annual holiday of Purim in Manchester today 

Jewish children dressed in costume celebrate the annual holiday of Purim in Manchester today 

A boy wearing a costume depicting a blue dragon walks along Al-Shuhada street, which is largely closed to Palestinians, in the divided city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank during celebrations today 

A boy dressed in Purim costume and holding a toy assault rifle walks with other revellers along Al-Shuhada street today 

The Jewish holiday of Purim – which means ‘lots’ in ancient Persian – is celebrated every year on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar – which falls between late winter and early spring. The event does not fall on the same day every year. 

Jewish communities celebrate by listening to the Book of Esther – who told Jews to celebrate the special day. 

Now people are seen marching in parades across the world wearing costumes in honour of Esther, who masqueraded as a non-Jew to unveil the plot.

The story forms the core of the Jewish festival of Purim, during which it is read aloud twice; once in the evening and again the next morning.