Purim Pieces Palooza

Here at New Voices, we’re very excited about Purim, as we’re sure you must be as well (take that as an order). After all, what’s not to like? Baked goods + costumes + alcohol + heartwarming story of good vs. evil = one hell of a good time. So pretty much everyone on our masthead funneled that positive energy into writing an article about an aspect of Purim that intrigues them. For your ease of finger-clicking, we’ve compiled all these articles into one big Purim piece.

Below, in no particular order, our 5773 (that’s this year in the Hebrew calendar) Purim articles:

Mordecai Unchained: John Propper writes in on his brilliant comparison between his Southern upbringing, Django Unchained, and the “catharsis of violence” that Purim celebrates. If you didn’t think those topics could be related…well, then you’re in a boat with pretty much everyone. But Propper did as Propper does, and united all of them.

Drunk Dialing: Sure, we’ve all heard the whining about how Purim devolves every year, and especially for college students, into drunken debauchery in the name of not knowing “the difference between Mordecai…and Haman.” But Lex Rofes manages to turn this around on us (v’nahafoch hu—the theme of Purim is turning things inside out) and elevate drunkenness into a beautiful concept of love.

Candy Cane Hamentaschen: Yes, Purim is deep, and yes it’s meaningful, but really we’re all in it for one thing: Those delicious hamentaschen. Hannah Rubin, baker and blogger extraordinaire, gathered some crazy newfangled recipes that take the standard recipe and stuffs it (with cheesecake, pizza, and more). She weaves these mouth-watering recipes into an article infused with fondness for the holiday, family, and the miracles of the kitchen.

Cotton Pickin’ Purim: Ever hear the traditional song Mishenichnas Adar? Did you know it has its roots in the tune from “an old Negro folk song” called Pick a Bale of Cotton? Well, Gabriel T. Erbs did, and he did some searching to find out just how that weird twist came to be. He shares his findings, and some good ol’ fashioned YouTube videos, with us.

Slutty Crayon: We’re sure you noticed that Halloween costumes for women can be a bit…skanky. Well that tradition is seeping deep into Purim costumes as well, and Simi Lichtman is just plain unhappy with it. Plus, some great lines and clips from Mean Girls that we assure you are relevant but are mostly just awesome to hear again.

Have a very happy Purim, all!