Purim, the joyful Jewish holiday in which we recount the story of the Book of Esther, dress up, and boo Haman and those who wished for our destruction in ancient Persia, is coming up this Thursday, March 13 and ending at sundown on March 14.
While a lot of people know Purim for the costumes (it’s not the Jewish Halloween! But we do wear costumes! And get treats!) and the hamantaschen cookies, one tradition of the holiday — giving out treat and gift baskets called mishloach manot in Hebrew or shalach manos in Yiddish — is one that not every American Jew tends to observe.
The tradition comes from the Book of Esther. After the Jewish people were saved from the threat of destruction, they basically went all out: “They were to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending gifts to one another and presents to the poor,” it reads.
When I was growing up in Israel, that tradition certainly made for one of the most magical days of the school year, when we would each bring a mishloach manot to class and exchange them. Is there anything better than getting a colorfully packaged box of treats? I loved putting mine together with my mother at home, and I loved the surprise of seeing which chocolate bars and candies my classmates had packed. And honestly, I never minded getting a prepackaged one from the store — they always had the best treats, flaky bars of Mekupelet chocolate and sweet Tortit chocolate-covered wafers.
This year, I could really use a mishloach manot, and I bet many of your Jewish friends, family and neighbors might love to get a reminder that they’re cared for by another member of the community, whether they do or don’t spend the night reading the megillah.
If you usually send mishloach manot, I’m sure you already know what you’re doing (and if not, this post has some nice last-minute ideas!) but if you never have, I feel like this year is a great one to start. Traditionally, a mishloach manot is given on Purim day and, according to the Shulchan Aruch, each person is obligated to send one to at least one other person, and each gift should be comprised of at least two different elements. You can make your own, with a hamentaschen and some other fun treats, or you can outsource them to the greater internet.
Of course, the more important Purim tradition is to give tzedakah, and there are certainly a lot of worthy causes to give to this year, if giving out a little gift basket is not your jam. But if you want to try, here are some fun things you can use for your mishloach manot. Happy Purim!
Go for the classics with this delicious cookie box!
A cheeky box that says Happy tuchus (that's butt, for the uninitiated) that's perfect for any snacks you want to gift your Jewish friends. Use code Kveller for 20% off.
For those of you wanting to branch away from hamantaschen, these certified kosher mini treats are a great option.
Bag Shaped Goodie Bags
I love the idea of filling these bag-shaped goodie bags with treats for the little ones!
For those not getting drunk on Purim night, another fun sensory experience.
Yodeling Pickle
A perfect gag gift for Purim, could arguably be used instead of a grogger.
