Purim Party for Ancient History Bible Lands

I devoted two weeks to studying the Bible Lands.  Finding books was easy but coming up with activities was harder.  That is why we only ended up doing only one activity--a Purim party.  Yeah!  I highly recommend that everyone start celebrating Purim.  I have a feeling it is going to be a yearly tradition for us from now on.  There are several reasons for this.  

1) It celebrates Esther.  A FEMALE biblical hero. There are mighty few of those.  Not that I think there weren't women doing amazing things, but they didn't find their way into the Bible.  And also, look what the male translators did to Eve--tried to make her seem foolish and disobedient.  Blah.  Glad we know better than to believe that hogwash.  My point--Esther's story is one I want my girls to hear over and over and over again.

2) You get to dress up.

3) You get to make a lot of noise.

4) You get to eat treats.

5) You get to listen to the Maccabeats.

Awesome.

Harriet helped me make Hamantaschen (sugar cookies, basically) while Emeline and Miriam made themselves crowns.

Tigger helped make cookies.

Here we are at Julie's house in our costumes.  Thanks again, Julie, for hosting!  Miriam is Esther.  Of course.

Harriet was a pumpkin.  A reluctant pumpkin.

Emeline was also Esther.  Eli was tigger.

And Cowen was a bear ranger.  Not a ranger like you would find in Yellowstone.  No, a ranger like you would find in the book Ranger's Apprentice and I can't reiterate enough that if you haven't read that book you must repent and read it immediately.

I can't remember what Ahnika dressed up as, but I do know she is begging.  I can't remember why . . ..

Filling the hamantaschen.  Colleen brought nutella and that pretty much made her the star of the whole party.  Then she gave me the leftovers!!!!  I will not admit how quickly I ate it, but she has my undying gratitude.  Forever.  I know that was redundant.

The idea is that the cookies are supposed to have three sides like the hat the villain of the Esther story--Haman--wore.  Then, when you eat the cookies, it is like he is being vanquished all over again.

Also during Purim you read the Esther story and every time Haman's name is mentioned the audience boos, hisses, and makes noise.  I brought all the noisemakers I could find and the kids went crazy booing and hissing.  Awesome.

Emeline as a bear.  All the kids took turns trying on the bear costume.

To begin the party we watched the Maccabeats on youtube singing the Purim song and danced.  We are all addicted to it.  I have it almost completely memorized but I can't figure out one part.  Grr.  I guess I should search the internet for the lyrics. That sounds like work.  I think I shall just continue to make up my own lyrics for the parts I can't figure out.  

Purim parties are so much fun!!!  You should have one immediately--or when Jewish people celebrate it.  Just so long as you party, man!