All dressed up

Purim is one of my very favorite holidays.

When I was a little girl, I would dress up in my sister's old ballet costumes, don my mom's 70's scarves and take the Best Queen Esther prize home from the Purim Carnival every year...for five years running. They banned my entry into the contest after that. I don't remember winning all those times, but I do remember dressing up and having a great time each year.

There was only one Purim when I couldn't make it to the Carnival. That was when I turned seven years old. I had the chicken pox and was a hot mess. I was covered, inside and out, with itchy scabs and wasn't allowed to go near anyone who hadn't already had it, or anyone who wanted to have it. Luckily, my brother and sister asked for my guess of how many M&M's were in the jar that was put up for penny guesses each year, and somehow it ended up in my hot little hands. I'll never know if I really guessed right, or if everyone just felt sorry for me. Either way, I shared. I hope.

Of course, the holiday isn't just about dressing up. It's also about reading the Book of Esther, making and eating Hamentaschen, making a LOT of noise, and drinking until we can no longer tell the difference between good and evil.

Personally, I'd be cool with just the reading, the cookies and the costumes. Then again, a party to celebrate that we didn't die at the hands of someone plotting to kills seems justifiable. Party on, y'all.