Purim

I think we can all agree, the best Purim costume possible is tiny kids in paper crowns and coordinated tunics.

(Please click over to Your Roots in Poland to enjoy more adorable pictures of kids in paper Purim crowns and such.)

The custom of donning costumes and masks on Purim is relatively recent in Jewish history, starting in Europe in the late 15th century. In my mind, I imagined older Purim "masks" to be like bedazzled eye shields, the kind worn in movies with bored aristocrats attending decadent balls. Or maybe a Harlequin mask.

What I wasn't expecting was this terror-

This is from the Rothschild Foundation "Judaica Index". It's a 19th century papier-mache Purim mask from Moravia. I haven't had a good night's sleep since I saw it, and now you won't, either. I mean, it's just slightly less terrifying than the original Irish Jack o'lantern, made from Old World turnips:

Turnip Jack O'Lantern - Image from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

The comparison of Purim and Halloween is a tempting one, what with the costumes and shared exuberant moods. But the similarities between the two holidays are pretty superficial, if you ask me. Halloween is not really associated with drunkenness in the way Purim is. And while exchanging sweet treats and hosting a festive meal are core mitsves for Purim, they're nothing like the ritual candy overload of American Halloween.  

Purim in Eastern Europe was (and in some communities still is today) all about the excitement and competition of exchanging gift baskets of shalekhmones. I recently taught a particularly wonderful Purim story on this theme with my adult b'nei mitsve student. It's actually a chapter from Burning Lights, by Bella Chagall, a memoiristic collection of stories across the Jewish year, set in Chagall's hometown of Vitebsk. In this Purim story, little Bella's family distributes baskets filled not just with ordinary homentashen, but bottles of wine, silk textiles, smoked fish, and more. During our discussion, my student perceptively noted how reminiscent the scene was, not of Halloween, but American Christmas! Chagall is a gifted writer, and in the book, she shows us sides of Eastern European Jewish life many of us have never seen, such as a visit to the women's mikve, from the inside. Burning Lights (or Brenendike Likht, as it was originally titled in Yiddish) is just one of the texts I use with my students to explore Ashkenazi life.

Intrigued to learn more about Eastern European Jewish life? I'm now offering six-session, one-on-one b'nei mitsve supplemental tutoring - for all ages! I want to work with you, your child, or your grandchild, and explore Yiddish language, culture, and custom. We cover subject areas such as Geography, Custom, Names, and Folk Magic using short stories, songs, art, film, and more. One-on-one teaching means I can tailor our sessions to each student's interest and skill level. Email me at cjcrokhl at gmail dot com to get started.