Tutu much? Art of dressing up for Purim

Purim may seem stressful as there’s so much to co-ordinate, from finding the right costume to organising mishloach manot (gifts sent to friends or family members) and everything in between. But it may be more important now than ever before to celebrate the joy that the holiday exudes.

“I’m grateful that we get to celebrate Purim despite any stress, and that we get to raise proud little Jews who get excited for all the chaggim,” said entrepreneur Shelley Isaacson.

Isaacson said that the doom and gloom in the world has made it even more special for her to raise proud Jewish children. For her, celebrating Purim feels more like an act of resilience.

“The story of Purim is about the triumph of Jews over persecution, reminding us of our strength and courage in the face of adversity,” Isaacson said. “When we look at the hostages who have been released, we see how they tried to keep their Jewish values even in captivity. That shows us how important it is to not take for granted that we are free and able to celebrate.”

Rebbetzin Estee Stern said that given everything that is happening in the world, “Purim is probably the most important chag to celebrate and for us to take time to tune into the energy of what it is about.

“Purim isn’t just a story that happened two and a half thousand years ago with the characters of Queen Esther, Mordechai, and Haman. The Purim story seems to happen in every generation. Not one Jew in the story left their Judaism behind, in fact Jews strengthened their observance and faith in Hashem. That’s all we have to do today to overcome the Hamans of our generation.”

Similarly, Lauren Burgin, a sales executive who has been selling mishloach manot packages, said “More than ever, it feels like we are living in real Purim times.”

Because of this, it is important to celebrate, she said, not only by dressing up but by giving gifts to family and friends. “It’s a symbol of care and unity within the Jewish community. We’re reminded to be kind and not leave one another out.”

For costume seller Cynthia Friedman, the most important part of Purim is to let children embrace the fun of dressing up as their favourite character and to get excited about the chag.

Stern said that in her family, Purim is a big deal and, in the weeks leading up to it, the whole family brainstorms costume ideas. “It makes such a difference when you dress up for Purim celebrations,” she said. “We start thinking about our costumes quite a while before Purim. What we are in the mood for this year, what characters we want to be, and then we go to rental stores to find the right costumes.”

Elaine Hurwitz, the owner of The Toyroom in Genesis on Fairmount Shopping Centre, said that in her shop, parents and children get excited about the different themes and ideas for Purim costumes. “The children are excited to choose which costume they want – whether it be a unicorn, Elsa, a princess, Spiderman, Harry Potter, or an astronaut,” she said. Many parents even make an effort to match their children’s costume.

For many of these shops, Purim is their second busiest time of year. “We have had many people come through for Purim costumes this year,” said Razzmatazz Costume Hire in Edenvale.

Razzmatazz and Sinderella Costume Hire say there has been high demand from the Jewish community this year for the perfect costume. For Sinderella Costume Hire, the most popular costumes are Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Moana.

“Costumes are becoming expensive, so a lot of parents are resorting to accessories like hats, tutus, gloves, wings, and the like,” Friedman said. “Schools put pressure on kids as they are given themes which puts pressure on parents. They are obligated to create or buy new outfits, so they are stressed.”

But costume shops say that though many parents come in a bit stressed, once their child has found the right costume, the stress falls away.