Yes, Purim is often considered the Jewish Halloween and you could easily use Halloween costumes to dress up your kids. But there’s more than that to Purim. The Megillah reading tells the story, and making these costumes are the first step to having your kids act it out. Plus, the characters are classic: queen, king, hero, and bad guy. (And we’ve got the costumes for them all!) No sewing necessary.
In the Purim story, King Ahasueros was the ruler of Persia. His wife, Queen Esther, was secretly Jewish. After the evil Haman developed a plan to kill all of the Jews, Queen Esther petitioned Ahasueros for mercy. Luckily, he granted it. So dressing up as the king who saved the Jewish people is a pretty darn good Purim costume!
You’ll Need:
2 king-sized purple pillowcases
scissors
1. Take the first pillowcase. Lay it down so it is longer vertically (see photo). Beginning about 12 inches down from joined edge (the top), cut on an angle up to the top of the case (about 8-10 inches from the corner). You’ll be cutting off a triangle. The remaining piece should look almost like a toga.
2. Take the second pillowcase. Cut along both side seams to open up the case so that it’s one continuous piece of fabric.
3. Using the second pillowcase, thread fabric through the first pillowcase. Tie it around the top shoulder part of the first case, allowing fabric to fall on either side of the shoulder in a kingly manner. This adds to the toga look of this costume.
4. Don’t forget to add a crown!
