But as for Israel…we have Purim. Which is really a bizarre medley of American holiday prep smushed together.
To wit:
- Readying costumes (Halloween)
- Preparing baskets of goodies to pass out to friends (Sort of like a Christmas cookie exchange)
- The kids also have to do this in school–and what has to be included is horrifically specific (Valentine’s?)
- Said baskets involve a lot of candy (Easter)
- A festive meal (Thanksgiving)
- Something that Taxman and I (and the aliyahbyaccidents) do here that I really like is preparing bags of non-perishable food for people in our community who are having financial difficulties. It’s vaguely anonymous–we get a name/address from our synagogue, shop for them, and deliver on Purim day.
I darkened the door of my local big grocery store for the first time in about three weeks today–I had been making do with quick trips to the more expensive in-town places because I was away, then I was busy working. Usually Monday is a pretty slow day at the grocery, but there were plenty of people there. Mostly in the candy, snacks, and baking aisles. Workers drifted about wearing cat-ear headbands or leis. Purim music was being piped in. And I suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for all the people who have to do this every December in America. Because I was feeling frantic, truthfully, what with having to do Purim shopping on top of regular food shopping.
And then in three more weeks I have to do this AGAIN but for Pesach…but by then I’ll have a ready supply of fun-size candy bars to tote along with me.
Your Purim candy will last you through Pesach shopping? Impressive.
We don’t let the kids eat it, really. Or at least not the “good” stuff. They’re happy with a vaffel mitzupeh.
Hanna, I just threw out stuff we got last year.
It depends on how much you get, I suppose. . .we are not such gluttons! We only keep the good stuff, the rest goes to my husband’s office.
speaking of which, I love that I had to buy FORTY covered wafers to put ONE in the mandatory gan mishloach manot. Don’t be surprised if some end up in the ones we give you on Purim….
Seriously?! You should have asked me. We always have some random ones in the fridge–when the kids act up at tefilat yeladim the wafers get confiscated.
This is absolutely the Unified Theory that explains my week.