A woman may not be a sofer. Even though women are obligated in the commandments of megila, they may not be sofrot for megilot nor for the Prophets (nevi'im) section of the Torah.
 

There are four mitzvot for Purim:
1. Shalach Manot (Gifts of food to promote friendship)
Send to one person at least two readily edible foods that will be appreciated by the recipient. Sending gifts of food (mishlo'ach manot) must be done on Purim day. The earliest time to send mishlo'ach manot is after hearing the morning megila reading (so that the commandment of giving gifts to friends is also covered by the blessing of she'hecheyanu over the megila).

2. Gifts to Poor People
Give some money to at least two poor people or to a fund designated to give to poor Jews on Purim. The earliest time in the day to give gifts to the poor on Purim is daybreak.

3. Hearing the Megila Twice (evening and morning)

• If you miss hearing a word or even syllable of the megila on Purim, say it to yourself and then catch up to the reader.
• If you are not near a minyan and do not have a megila scroll, you should read the megila from a book.  But you will not have fulfilled the commandment of reading the megila and so you do not say any of the blessings.

4. Eating at a Purim se'uda.

• The minimum amount to eat and drink for a Purim meal is at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread, any amount of meat (if you enjoy meat), and some wine (any amount more than you normally drink).
• The earliest time you may eat the Purim meal is from daybreak; the latest time you must begin is before sunset.  You must eat at least 1.3 fl. oz. (39 ml, or 1/6 cup) of bread and some wine (and meat if you enjoy it) before sunset. You may continue your meal after sunset as long as you ate the bread before sunset.

 

A mourner (avel) is permitted to say she'hecheyanu for himself but should not say she'hecheyanu if required for the congregation.  An avel should say she'hecheyanu on:

• Eating a “new” fruit.
• Wearing a new garment.
• Lighting Chanuka candles at home for the first time that year.

 An avel should not do the following, since he should not say she'hecheyanu unless it is necessary:

• Light Chanuka candles in synagogue.
• Read the megila.
• Blow shofar on Rosh Hashana.

Purim commemorates the saving of the Jews in the Persian Empire from Haman's plan to wipe them out completely. The story is a classic example of how God intervenes in human history in a hidden manner. The essential element was that the Jews were saved from physical destruction/death (contrast with Chanuka, where the Jews were not being threatened with physical death but with the destruction of their religious beliefs and practices).
 

• Giving charity to poor people.
• Giving gifts of ready-to-eat food to friends.
  Reason To promote friendship and a feeling of community.
• Reading the megila of Esther at night and the next day.
• Eating a festive meal.
• Giving three half-dollars (or whatever the local unit of coin currency is where you live) to charity in commemoration of the half-shekel, which was given by all Jews to the Temple when it stood in Jerusalem.
  Note This is not actually an observance of Purim, but it has become traditional to give the 3 half-dollars on Purim.

• Dressing up in costumes.
• Making noise during the reading of Haman's (and his wife's) name in the megila, in order to wipe out their names.
• Drinking more wine than normal.

In addition to prayer obligations (see Women: Minimal Prayer), women and girls 12 years old and up are required to keep these time-dependent positive commandments, among others:

• Candle-lighting for Chanuka (see Chanuka: Candles: Who Should Light )
• Candle-lighting for Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
• Havdala (say or hear) after Shabbat, Jewish festivals, Rosh Hashana, and Yom Kippur.
• Kiddush (say or hear) on the first night (or first two nights outside Eretz Yisrael) of every Jewish festival, and also the next morning.
• Passover (all commandments, including eating matza at the Passover seder).
  Note Because she must eat matza, she must therefore say birkat ha'mazon afterward (so if a woman omits ya'ale v'yavo in birkat ha'mazon at the seder, she must repeat birkat ha'mazon!).
• Megila on Purim.
• Shabbat (For why women must keep time-dependent, positive commandments on Shabbat, see Introduction to Shabbat )
• Shofar on Rosh Hashana.
  Note Jewish women universally accepted upon themselves to hear shofar on Rosh Hashana, but they only need to hear 30 blasts.
• Hearing the reading of Parashat Zachor.

Introduction to Fast Days
The purpose of Jewish fast days is to make us reflect on our behavior and improve it by:

• Eliminating negative actions and thoughts, and
• Taking more care in our observance of the commandments.

God told the Jewish people on many occasions that He did not want their pointless sacrifices or fast days but rather wanted the Jews to improve their behavior. If people fast but still have reprehensible behavior, the people have missed the point and purpose of bringing sacrifices and having fast days.
All fast days may be circumvented for health reasons. Consult a rabbi.
Fast days come in several varieties:

• Major fast days: Yom Kippur and the Ninth of Av (Tish'a B'Av). 
• Minor fast days: There are four minor fast days; see below.
• Fast for First-Born
• Individual Fasts

The Major Fasts
Yom Kippur and the Ninth of Av begin before sunset and are both slightly longer than 24 hours. Yom Kippur is a festive day while, on the Ninth of Av, Jews mourn for the destruction of both Jerusalem Temples (the first was destroyed by Babylonians; the second, by the Romans). On both fasts, it is forbidden to:

• Eat or drink.
• Wear leather shoes (but you may wear any other clothing made of leather).
• Bathe (or even to wash anything more than fingers; you may not use a deodorant--not even a spray type--since it is similar to washing).
• Have marital relations.
• Use cosmetics or body scents.

The Minor Fasts
The four minor fasts begin 72 minutes before local sunrise. They technically end at dark but functionally end after ma'ariv (and for the Fast of Esther, after hearing the megila). Unlike most times in the Jewish calendar, this 72 minutes is normal time and NOT based on the current length of the day (sha'a zmanit):

• Fast of Esther (Ta'anit Esther): Day preceding Purim (or sometimes earlier).
• Fast of Gedalia (Tzom Gedalia): Usually the day after Rosh Hashana.
• Tenth of Tevet (Asara b' Tevet):
• Seventeenth of Tamuz (Shiv'asar b'Tamuz): Beginning of the Three Weeks of semi-mourning beforeTish'a b'Av.

On all fast days, eating and drinking are forbidden. The Tenth of Tevet and the Seventeenth of Tamuz additionally have the same restrictions as the Nine Days. So you may wash or bathe on the Fast of Esther and on Tzom Gedalia but not on the Tenth of Tevet and the Seventeenth of Tamuz. (See Nine Days: Restrictions).
Note On a fast day that has been delayed for Shabbat, there may be leniencies for:

• The mohel, sandak, and father of a baby getting a brit mila to eat after mincha.
• Pregnant or nursing women (this leniency applies to eating throughout the day).

Fast for First Born
Fast for first-born males 13 years old and older, on the day before Passover. This includes first-born cohanim and Levites (levi'im). The fast begins 72 normal minutes before sunrise and ends with kiddush at the seder. However, the widespread custom is to attend a siyum on the day before the first seder so that the first-born men do not need to fast on that day.
 
Personal Fasts
Fast by a groom and bride on their wedding day is an example of personal fasts. This fast begins 72 normal minutes before sunrise and ends with drinking wine under the chuppa.

Almost all mitzvot may be enhanced by:

• Making them beautiful (hidur mitzva), or
• Observing non-required stringencies (mehadrin).