Halloween gives you candy. Purim gives you Hamantaschens.

After slowly recovering from the ODing on poppy seed hamantaschens, and getting the noise of groggers out of my head, I look back on this past Purim and describe it in one word: scandalous.

Every year, my congregation puts on a Purim Spiel. The play tells the story of Purim and while including tunes from an agreed upon musical. This year, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was the winner. Now you’re thinking, “what kind of congregation does this blogger go to?” But don’t be alarmed. Taken down to a PG rating at the synagogue, mainly adults ages 30+ showed off their pelvic thrusts.

With all of the performers in costume, including the president of the congregation and a congregant in drag with duck-taped hamantaschen boobs stuck to his black shirt, feather boas were thrown left and right, and fish net leggings were not to be out of eyesight. During the performance (for those Rocky Horror lovers out there), newspapers and rice were substituted by multicolored glow sticks, gummy candies thrown at the stage, and whistles blown at certain parts of the performance.

Every holiday has its perks. For Hanukah, we get presents (and latkes). For Pesach, we eat macaroons (a personal favorite). But, really, nothing compares to the free-spirited holiday that always seems left out.

Does your synagogue have a crazy tradition for Purim? Comment to let us know what it is!

It’s never too late to start planning for 5772!