So this week we have Purim, a Jewish holiday. The story, set in Persia, is that a guy named Haman wanted to kill all the Jews because one guy Mordechai didn't bow to him (supposedly, Jews only bow to God). At the same time, the king, Ahash Verosh, kicked his former wife out of the palace and was looking for a new one, so Mordechai's pretty daughter Esther went to the gathering and lo and behold, the king chooses her as his new wife. Of course, he doesn't know that she's Jewish. And it's all about how she saved the Jews against all odds and Haman got hanged and everybody lived happily ever after.
So on Purim, we dress up in costumes and party and eat triangular cookies with various fillings (Hamentaschen). And we exchange gifts, sort of. It's not like they're Christmas gifts. It's mainly at school, you organize who gives gifts to who. They're generally large bundles of candy and Hamentaschen, which is awesome.
At first I was thinking of just wearing jeans and a t-shirt and taking along an American flag and saying I was dressed up as an American, but then I decided I'd be a doll. It's an easy costume, really, and I've got a puffy dress to wear. I have long hair to put into braids and blush to make my cheeks very, very red and a blank expression. It's great, really.
The best thing about Purim is that no one's too old for it. It's a proper holiday, so everyone celebrates it to some degree. It's not like Halloween, which is based on kids. All through high school you dress up. How cool is that? And you get lots of candy and sweets. And we get a four-day weekend. It's absolutely brilliant.
No comments:
Post a Comment