How to Celebrate Purim

Pruim is one of the most fun Jewish holidays of the year. Celebrating Purim is fun and easy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Costume
• Candy
• Gragger
• Sufganiyot (Gift Baskets)
• Homentashen
• Meggilah

1. 
   The Scroll of Esther

   Prepare for the big day! Find a local synagogue that is performing a reading of the meggilah (Scroll of Esther). If you don't know where to start, try Chabad.com or Aish.com.

2. 
   An Elaborate Gift Basket

   Prepare your mishloch manot. Mischloch manot are traditional gift baskets. They generally contain candy, snacks, wine (if legal), and homentashen. Homentashen are a triangle shaped filled cookie pastry. Mishloch manot can be small or elaborate (as in the picture). Make a list of who you are giving them to.

3. 
   An Israeli On Purim

   Find a costume. This is easy, as there are no rules! Traditional costumes are a queen (after Queen Vashti from the story) or other biblical characters.

4. 
   A Chabad Purim Party

   THE BIG DAY! Wear your costume, go to a meggilah reading, distribute your mishloch manot, and drink. The tradition is to drink so much you cannot tell the difference between Mordechai (the good guy) and Haman (the bad guy). Sing, dance, and have fun!

5. Have a designated driver take you home or walk home. Do not drive drunk.

Tips & Warnings

• Have fun, Purim is festive.
• Giving out gift baskets is not mandatory, but it is fun.
• Make sure you get to a megillah reading, as that is the biggest mitsvah of the holiday.
• Do not drink too much, you will get sick.
• Do not wear inappropriate costumes to religious synagogues, you may offend people.

Resources

• Purim: Judaism 101
• Purim on Wikipedia
• Chabad: Purim