Happy Purim

I had some friends over last night, and we ate and drank and were merry. Rachel, unprompted, brought gifts of homemade (or Mom-made) hamantashen!



I made a gragger and decorated it.



I am just about done listening to the reading of the Book of Esther, and have been trying to shake my gragger every time Haman's name is mentioned, but my triceps are overworked.

What a depressing story, though! It has an uplifting ending, but I don't know how pleased I'd be, sitting through this story once a year.

One can safely assume that Megan, my partner in crime, was not only merry last night but drank enough not only to not be able to distinguish "Mordechai" from "Haman", but enough to forget what she was celebrating!

Preparing for Purim

Purim commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from death. The word Purim means “lots”. Purim refers to the plot of the king’s advisor to draw “lots” for which Jews to kill first. One of king’s wives, Esther, saved the people by foiling Haman’s plot. The Purim story appears in the the Book of Esther, which is traditionally read on Purim.

Customarily, Purim is one of the drunkest, noisiest holidays: Jewish law commands one to become so drunk that they cannot tell the difference between the names “Mordechai” (the hero of the story) and “Haman”. Additionally, revelers should make as much noise as possible to drown out Haman’s name. The gragger was created specifically for noise-making purposes.

All Jewish people are expected to contribute the same amount on Purim – three half-dollar coins. Children will often dress up – the Queen Esther costume is a traditional choice, but most children choose to dress as more contemporary figures. A feast usually begins in the late afternoon; hamantashen cookies are typically served. Hamantashen means “Haman’s ear” and symbolize the three-cornered hat that Haman wore.

To celebrate:
1. hear the reading of the Book of Esther
2. create a gragger to drown out Haman’s name when it is mentioned
3. eat, drink and be merry
4. send out gifts of food (a common gift is hamantashen) or drink and give to charity

Recommended resources:
My Jewish Learning: Purim

[sources: Holidays.net, Judaism 101]

The Holiday Challenge

There is no set calendar or number of holidays yet. We have added all federal and major national holidays to our calendar, but will likely be adding more as we see fit as time goes on.

Celebration of a holiday may include (but is not limited to): partaking in traditional holiday cuisine; reading a poem, speech, or official document pertaining to said holiday; singing or listening to traditional songs or hymns relating to the celebrated; decorating for said holiday; drinking.

The only rules here are to HAVE FUN and document the celebrating on this blog.