The days leading up to Purim are filled with merriment and mirth; this is a time of high spirits for the Jewish people who through the ages have been beset with worries and calamities.
Purim lore — based on mitzvahs from Megillat Esther and on custom — sanctions abundant food and drink, making noise, getting drunk, swapping food packages (mishloach manot), poking fun at our most sacred institutions and, most significantly, masquerading in costumes.
For children, wearing a costume on Purim is essentially a requirement. And every year the array of colorful choices on Israeli toy store and costume shop shelves grows larger.
It was in the late 1400s that the Jews of Italy, who observed the Italian Catholics’ Lenten carnival (known for its elaborate masks and costumes) at around the same time of year, adopted this custom for themselves and began to masquerade as part of their Purim celebration.
The custom of wearing costumes can also be traced to the prominent role of fabric and clothing in Megillat Esther. King Ahasuerus hosts a royal feast in the courtyard of his palace, which is decorated with sumptuous fabrics. When he holds a beauty pageant to pick a new queen, the young women undergo beauty treatments and dress in lavish attire. In another scene, Mordechai is paraded around the streets of Shushan in royal garments — his reward for saving the king’s life.
The story of Esther is a “hidden” miracle, so to speak, as compared to more “obvious” miracles like the parting of the Red Sea (commemorated on Passover), and the small amount of oil for the Temple menorah which lasts for eight days (celebrated on Chanukah). This concept translates into our own way of hiding under our costumes and masks.
However, there is no hiding the glittering selection of Purim regalia displayed in stores around Israel almost two months before the holiday.
This year’s hit, according to Hanny Zaig, advertising director at Kfar HaShashuim — a toy and gift chain with 70 branches around the country — is Inuyasha, the main character (half human, half demon) of a popular Japanese animated series by the same name, which has caught the imagination of Israeli boys and girls up and down the country.
“Despite this, boys still continue to show a preference for perennial heroes like Spiderman, Superman, Action Man and the Power Rangers, while elaborate princess costumes, such as Queen Esther and Queen of the Night as well as dolls such as Barbie, remain favorites among girls,” Zaig says.
For Orthodox girls, Kfar HaShashuim offers the metaphorical “Shabbat Queen.” Orthodox boys can choose from biblical characters, such as Joseph in his striped coat and the High Priest in his layered garments and ornaments.
Fairy tale characters like Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Peter Pan are also making a comeback.
“Although the classic policeman and doctor will always remain popular,” says Yael Meir, marketing director of Toys R Us in Israel, the country’s largest toy chain, “I predict that the leading costume this year will be the Magic Fairy, a costume based on a popular children’s play with Israeli actress Sophie Zedaka. Sophie, a presenter on children’s television, is depicted in full Magic Fairy regalia on the front of the costume.”
Despite the frivolity of Purim, consumers and children can’t fail to be affected by news headlines. Despite Meir’s comment about the popularity of the policeman’s costume, religious children are unlikely to dress up as policemen since the Amona showdown.
Moreover, since a spate of suicide bombings a few short years ago, the yellow vests of ZAKA volunteers (the unit which removes the bodies of victims of terror attacks) have become quite popular in ultra-Orthodox circles. Likewise, children also dress up as medics from Hatzolah, a non-profit emergency medical service that assists victims of terrorism.
Last year, Uzi Cohen, the relatively anonymous deputy mayor of Ra’anana, became one of the new stars of the popular TV satire “Wonderful Country.” The ape-like impersonations were so hilarious that it made Cohen — who alternated between embracing his newfound popularity and condemning the somewhat offensive imitations — one of the most recognizable politicians in Israel, and many children dressed up as the satirized television character.
And of course there are always those creative mothers who make innovative handmade costumes depicting everyday Israeli items. Some mothers, for example, have sent their children out as milk bags (yes, milk in Israel often comes in bags), with real Tnuva milk bags pasted all over their outfit. Bus passes are enlarged many times over and sewn on costumes, producing mobile bus passes. Despite being awkward, cardboard boxes are often used to turn youngsters into portable TV sets rather than the TV stars themselves.
Purim in Israel is a public holiday marked by street carnivals, parades, parties, music and laughter, and both children and adults dress in colorful costumes at work, in school and in the synagogue. Let us hope that Purim this year will not be affected by the frenzy of election campaigning or the current political situation, and that it continues to unite us as a people and be a celebration of the Jewish people’s deliverance from evil.