A very Forward guide to celebrating Purim
Let us guide you through the “Festival of the lots.” Image by iStock
By Irene Katz Connelly March 2, 2020
Bogged down by gray February days and March rains? Can’t wait until Passover to host a festive meal? Craving a cookie?
Fortunately, there’s a Jewish holiday for that.
Purim, an ancient but sometimes overlooked festival, is an celebration of Jewish survival, a centuries long-tradition of carnivals and festivity, and — like basically every Jewish holiday — an excuse to share delicious, high-carb meals with everyone you know. Not sure how to celebrate, or looking for some new hamentaschen ideas? Let us guide you through the “Feast of the Lots.”
So what’s the deal with the Purim story, anyway?
The Purim story comes from the “Megillah,” or Book of Esther, which takes place in the ancient kingdom of Persia (now Iran). It starts out as Persia’s king, Ahasuerus, is entertaining his friends at the palace. He orders his wife, Vashti to appear before them and dance (the Megillah states that he asked her to come wearing “only her crown,” which most scholars interpret as a demand to dance in the nude). When Vashti refuses, Ahasuerus banishes her from the kingdom. Seeking a new queen, he commands all the kingdom’s young women to appear before him; and he chooses the most beautiful one, Esther, as his new consort. Esther is a member of the kingdom’s often-persecuted Jewish minority, but she doesn’t reveal her religion lest she fall out of favor with the king.
In between ridding himself of one wife and acquiring a new one, Ahasuerus appoints one of his advisors, Haman, as the kingdom’s viceroy. Haman is ambitious and power-hungry, and he insists that everyone in the kingdom bow down when they see him. One day, Haman encounters a Jewish man at the city gates who refuses to bow. Furious, Haman complains to the Ahasuerus that the Jews are disrespecting his laws and even conspiring against his rule. Taken in, Ahasuerus agrees to allow Haman to kill all the kingdom’s Jews. Haman casts a series of lots, or purim, to determine the specific day on which the massacre was to take place.
The Jewish man at the city gates happens to be Esther’s uncle, a clever man named Mordechai. As word gets out about Haman’s plan, he hastens to Esther’s palace and begs her to intercede with the king. Esther is hesitant to do so — even as the queen, she risks a death sentence by approaching the king without an invitation. But, after fasting and reflecting for three days, she gathers up her courage, dons her finest clothes, and throws herself on Ahasuerus’s mercy. When he learns that his beloved wife is a Jew, he instantly retracts his order for her people’s slaughter and demands that Haman be hanged instead. He replaces him as viceroy with Mordechai, the very man who defied him. In the following days, Mordechai and his allies exact further revenge on their enemies, killing hundreds of Haman’s relatives and supporters. As a testament to the Jewish people’s survival, Mordechai establishes an annual holiday which he names Purim, or “festival of the lots,” after the dice that Haman used in his ill-fated quest to exterminate the Jews. In the Hebrew calendar, Purim falls on the 14th day of Adar; in 2020, it begins on March 9 and ends on March 10.
OK, but we’re not in ancient Persia now. So how do we celebrate Purim?
Children dressed up for Purim in Kfar Saba, Israel. Image by iStock
Today, Purim is a holiday of revelry and joy, a celebration of the Jewish people’s ability to triumph against the odds — or, in this case, the “lots.” There are several rituals that mark the holiday, and you can participate in some, all, or none of them.
In the synagogue: Traditionally observant Jews often fast on the day before Purim, just as Esther fasted before presenting herself before Ahasuerus. Then, on the day of Purim, people gather in the synagogue to hear the Megillah read aloud. Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, tradition dictates that congregants shout, or wave noise-making devices called groggers, in order to “drown out” his evil name.
At Hebrew school: For kids, Purim can be a day of costumes, games, and treats — much like the secular holiday of Halloween. Hebrew school programs often stage shpiels, or funny re-enactments of the Purim story. Many communities also organize Purim carnivals with many stations that each host a different craft or game. One classic craft is making homemade groggers. But there are a myriad artistic takes on the Purim story. This year, Sarah-Kay Lachs of the JCC Harlem is planning a medieval-themed Purim carnival, where kids will get to decorate crowns, make their own amulets commemorating Esther’s courage, and create an illuminated text out of the Megillah. It’s customary for children — and sometimes their parents as well — to dress up for the carnival, but costumes don’t have to be directly related to the Purim story.
In the community: Purim isn’t just a day to celebrate. It’s also a moment to feel gratitude for the Jewish people’s continued survival and to give back to those in need. On Purim, Jews give gifts to the needy (matanot l’evyonim) by donating to charity or volunteering their time. Some Purim carnivals include opportunities to volunteer: for example, the JCC Harlem is partnering with Repair the World Harlem to assemble supply kits for families in need. Jews also give gifts to each other (mishloach manot), mostly in the form of party favors to take home from Purim celebrations. Mishloach manot usually take the form of sweets or nuts, but they can be as funky or complicated as you’d like.
At home: Purim isn’t just a day for kids to celebrate. At night, grown-ups mark the occasion with a festive meal called a seudah. Unlike other Jewish meals such as the Passover seder, there aren’t many specific rituals to accompany the seudah. But the Talmud does command people to drink until they can’t tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman. This injunction has long been interpreted as good enough reason to party all night long.
What do people eat on Purim?
Hamentaschen are Purim’s most iconic treat. Image by iStock
One of Purim’s most recognizable treats is hamentashen, a triangular cookie dating from 16th-century Germany and shaped like the three-corned hat Haman wore in many contemporary illustrations of the Purim story. Traditionally, hamentaschen are filled with poppy seeds or fruit jams, but subsequent generations of chefs have cooked up dozens of different fillings for this versatile dish.
While hamentaschen may have a monopoly on American Jewish tables, there are plenty of other Purim dishes, many of which have symbolic meanings. Caveos di Aman, a Bulgarian Jewish spaghetti dish, symbolizes Haman’s hair. Folares, hardboiled eggs wrapped in challah dough, are meant to look like the villain’s head. A Moroccan Purim dish called Ojos de Haman also incorporates eggs: two are embedded in a traditional almond and sesame bread to represent Haman’s eyes, and it’s traditional to rip them out of the loaf to mark his demise.
You may not be down to bake whole eggs into your bread, but there are plenty of ways to update Purim traditions for the modern dinner table. Jewish food historian Tori Avey points out that according to some interpretations of the ancient story, Esther became a vegetarian to avoid non-kosher meat in her husband’s palace and got much of her protein from poppy seeds. For her, that’s a good enough excuse to take advantage of this under-utilized ingredients, which can add spice to a lemon cake or crunch to a breakfast pancake.
Purim seems like a great holiday for kids. But what if I want to throw an adults-only bash?
In Reform and Conservative Jewish communities, Purim celebrations are often centered around family-friendly activities; parties for adults are more common in Orthodox circles.
If you’re not Orthodox, celebrating Purim without kids may seem daunting. But Jewish lifestyle blogger Rebeka Lowin encourages grown-ups to embrace the holiday. “It’s just another excuse to host a dinner party—to celebrate with plenty of color, joy, and noise,” she says. “In the Jewish experience, those moments can sometimes feel few and far between. So why not relish each and every one of them?”
Lowin suggests playing on the family-friendly tradition of making crafts by hosting a hamentashen-making party. Just like a carnival for kids, it’s interactive and a little funky, and guests will have their own mishloach manot to take home. If you’re over the age of 12, the sound of groggers gets real annoying after about two seconds. You can cut the noise but keep the carnival atmosphere with these edible (and mercifully silent!) grogger-shaped cookies. And encourage everyone to come in costume — no matter your age, dressing up never gets old.
If I don’t want to drink, do I have to skip the party?
Hamentaschen toppers make any cocktail fabulous. Image by Rebekah Lowin
Because Purim is such a celebratory holiday, and it’s a time when the Talmud literally commands Jews to drink to excess. That which can make it an uncomfortable time for those who’d rather stay sober. If you entertain, keep in mind that your guests may not all be down with Purim’s party culture and try to cultivate an atmosphere that’s comfortable for everyone. Avey suggests serving cocktails accompanied by mocktail variations — like this pomegranate martini or this blood orange and rosemary cocktail — so that guests can partake of a festive atmosphere even if they aren’t partaking of alcohol.
Lowin suggests using fun accents to “elevate” non-alcoholic drinks, like stemmed glassware or herb garnishes. She’s also created these mini-hamantaschen cocktail toppers, which will make any beverage — alcoholic or no — look fabulous.
Irene Katz Connelly covers culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. You can contact her at [email protected].
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