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Huzzah! It is time once again to celebrate Queen Esther having really great sex with her husband.
This is how it is done:
Dress up. It doesn't really matter who or what you dress up as. Traditionally you dress up as one of the characters from the Book of Esther, but no one really cares if you dress up as a Fat Opera Singer, Mexican Hobo, or Jake Elwood*. The Rabbi at my Shul, normally very dignified, wears a chikkin suit.
Make mishlo'akh manot (meesh-low-ach mahn-oat; remember, long Hebrew aaaaahh). These are kind of gift baskets for friends, family, and total strangers. The only requirement for them is that they contain two edible components. One of these is generally hamentashen, the three-cornered cookies with filling inside. Incidentally, if you like hamentashen, hit your local Kosher bakery.
Go to Shul. Take your mishlo'akh manot with you. Also, take something that makes noise. Maracas, drums, and tambourines will work. A special device known as a gragger (grah-ger) will also be available at Shul, but those are cheap.
Exchange mishlo'akh manot. Or, for a more traditional feel, donate some to your local food charity.
Sit down and listen to the reading of the Book of Esther. The mitzvah is to hear it read, rather than read it, so do not use your noisy thing . . . until the name of the main Villain, Haman, comes up. Then go ahead and make noise, boo, stomp, hiss, whatever. You will do this every single time Haman's name is read.
If you happen to get hungry, open some of the mishlo'akh manot you got and eat some hamentashen.
After the reading and service is over, go get drunk.
Really smashed.
To the point that you can't tell the difference between the word Haman and Mordechai, which makes more sense if you think in Hebrew tesseracts.
Wake up the next morning and try to avoid direct sunlight.
Yeah, fun holiday, especially considering that most Jewish holidays are very somber and involve lots of sepulchral chanting.
* All of which are things Panda has dressed up as. The Fat Opera Singer was, amusingly, female.
This is how it is done:
Dress up. It doesn't really matter who or what you dress up as. Traditionally you dress up as one of the characters from the Book of Esther, but no one really cares if you dress up as a Fat Opera Singer, Mexican Hobo, or Jake Elwood*. The Rabbi at my Shul, normally very dignified, wears a chikkin suit.
Make mishlo'akh manot (meesh-low-ach mahn-oat; remember, long Hebrew aaaaahh). These are kind of gift baskets for friends, family, and total strangers. The only requirement for them is that they contain two edible components. One of these is generally hamentashen, the three-cornered cookies with filling inside. Incidentally, if you like hamentashen, hit your local Kosher bakery.
Go to Shul. Take your mishlo'akh manot with you. Also, take something that makes noise. Maracas, drums, and tambourines will work. A special device known as a gragger (grah-ger) will also be available at Shul, but those are cheap.
Exchange mishlo'akh manot. Or, for a more traditional feel, donate some to your local food charity.
Sit down and listen to the reading of the Book of Esther. The mitzvah is to hear it read, rather than read it, so do not use your noisy thing . . . until the name of the main Villain, Haman, comes up. Then go ahead and make noise, boo, stomp, hiss, whatever. You will do this every single time Haman's name is read.
If you happen to get hungry, open some of the mishlo'akh manot you got and eat some hamentashen.
After the reading and service is over, go get drunk.
Really smashed.
To the point that you can't tell the difference between the word Haman and Mordechai, which makes more sense if you think in Hebrew tesseracts.
Wake up the next morning and try to avoid direct sunlight.
Yeah, fun holiday, especially considering that most Jewish holidays are very somber and involve lots of sepulchral chanting.
* All of which are things Panda has dressed up as. The Fat Opera Singer was, amusingly, female.
