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| Apart from the Mitzvot of Purim, there are several fun traditions that Jewish people all over the world keep when they celebrate Purim every year. They are not commanded in the Bible or by the Rabbis, but they can be a lot of fun! |
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A favourite tradition at Purim is fancy-dress and disguise! All over the world Jewish people don fancy-dress and disuise at Purim, pretending to be someone else for just one day. This is particularly popular with children. We dress-up in order to remind us of the way Queen Esther hid her identity while she was Queen of Persia. Living in the Royal Palace she had to hide her Jewishness, just as we hide our identity under masks and disguises. Something fun to do at Purim is to have a Fancy Dress Competition. Or have a Purim Parade. You can dress up as almost anything you like. Just remember that we are dressing up to recollect Queen Esther and the way she hid her identity. |
| At Purim it is also traditional to 'obliterate' the name of Haman during the reading of the Megillah. Whenever the name of Haman is read out, everyone boos and hisses, stamps their feet and roars, making as much noise as possible. Some people feel so strongly about obliterating Haman's name that they write his name on the soles of their shoes and stamp their feet whenever Haman's name is read. By the time the end of the Megillah is reached, Haman's name is no longer visible on the bottom of their shoes! More widely-spread traditions include using the grogger and blowing party-blowers. There are special noise makers called groggers which are used every Purim. They make a terrific noise, rather like a football rattle. They certainly help to drown the name of Haman! |
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