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Eat the pound of Hamentaschen my mom just ordered from this amazing place in New York. mrgreen

In all seriousness, volunteer at my temple's Purim carnival and end up working the DDR booth, like every year.

I don't know what I'll be doing. I've never celebrated before, and I have a budget of $0 for it (though I can likely get the funds for my own on-campus party from my family). If I can secure the funds, I'll be buying the stuff to make my own Hamentaschen, using the recipe provided by chabad.org. I'll offer to share with all my friends, and inevitably only one or two will show up when the time comes (the rest will be too busy writing fanfics to care, which is unfortunate). Still, it should be fun.

I think traditionally you dress up as the characters from the Purim story. Mordecai, Ester, Vashti (love that Divash!), and whoever else. Of course I think these days the younger adult Jews just dress up like Halloween. Anything fun, and anything that won't cause a problem when you're totally drunk. xd

My friend and I were talking about doing something, but it's kinda short notice and I don't know what I can pull off. It is during my spring break, though.

I always describe it as "Jewish Mardi Gras." It's basically the same thing, but with less bead trading, more noise makers and not so much bother from the Law Enforcement Officers.

It's also the night that my friends all go to the Mass Ave bridge to see who can actually finish a fifth of something 80 proof.

Mind you, getting the stupid kind of drunk isn't traditional and I do not condemn nor condone the use of sour mash whiskey or whatever clear liquid I get in a Mason Jar to celebrate, but I'm in Boston. There's a great public drunk for the catholics every year, even non-catholics take part in that great public drunk. So why can't the Jews have one too in the interest of diversity and equality?

Have you ever tried blackberry? Surprisingly yummy, and my second favorite. blaugh

Mmm, I haven't tried blackberry, no. I typically only open three jars of jam for Purim because I can't use them all up before they go bad, but maybe I'll try blackberry this year instead of... hm, strawberry, I think. Thanks for the idea! Blackberry, raspberry, and apricot sounds like a good combination.

Neuf, great song. I'm not sure I'll be able to sing it, once I get my requisite drinking done, though. wink Plus, it's kind of sad. Purim's a celebration, and for once, we're not required to mourn during it (much -- we do have to acknowledge that in defending their own lives, Persian Jews did have to kill those who came to kill them).

You know, I forgot to mention one other great Purim tradition: Mishloach Manot, the giving of food. Yep, you guessed it, there's yet another Jewish holiday that makes a big deal out of food, and giving gifts. Both at the same time, yet!

Some do it by emptying their cupboards and giving a few cans or boxes of food to a homeless shelter; some do it by baking cookies and giving tins to their neighbors. I'm planning to do both, because I'm sure there's a lot of not-for-Passover food that we won't be able to eat up before Passover gets here, and because I want to make friends with my new neighbors. My treat boxes are all white with little blue stars on them, with blue lids. I'm planning to fill them with blue and silver tissue paper wrapped around Hamantaschen, Asian almond cookies, and some gluten-free treats in the basket I'll give my friend A who's gone off gluten.

Ooh! Exciting news.

My sister is having a potluck to celebrate the day of the Last Supper, which according to her is on the same day of Purim. Me and my friends are going to dress up and bring Hamantaschen. I'm basically in charge of dessert, so if there's any other dessert I could make that would be fun, share!