Ironically, two disasters happened during the week that was supposed to be the happiest week of the year. This week people in Israel have been celebrating Purim, the holiday for costumes, laughter, candy and mainly just lots of fun.
Unfortunately, the murder of the Fogel family in Itamar and the tsunami in Japan marred the fun of this holiday. Instead of parties, costumes and other fun things, the newspapers were full of stories about death and catastrophe.
Despite all that sadness, I believe that it’s important not to give up this wonderful holiday, so I decided to tell you some interesting things about it.
In Purim, we give “mishlohey manot” to each other. Those are packages of candies and snacks, and it is a great way to say “happy holiday” (and also a great opportunity to eat lots of tasty treats). The official dish of the holiday is called “ozney haman (Haman’s ears). It is a type of a triangular cookie, which is made of dough, and is usually filled with poppy or chocolate.
A thing that almost everyone does in Purim is dress up in costumes. There is a variety of costumes of all kinds for all ages. I, personally, believe that in Purim, the weirder you dress, the saner you are. During the holiday people wear those costumes to school, work, Purim parties and in the street.
Last but not least, is the Adloyada (until one doesn’t know). It is a huge parade held in several major cities across the country, like in Holon. Bands, acrobats, dancers, etc – all participate in the Adloyada. Many people, especially kids, stand it the streets and watch the parade in their costumes.
Purim is the time of the year to have fun, laugh, be silly and do whatever comes to mind. So enjoy every minute of it, remember – it comes only once a year!
Adloyada in Holon 2011 (video from zahi1221 on youtube.com)
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