When Spiderman wears a Yarmulke and other awesome Purim costumes

Jewish people know how to party.

Especially on Purim when we are told straight up to eat, drink and be merry.

Just look at Israel where the streets are alive with revelry, with parades, with dancing and singing… and costumes… Ohhhh the costumes. It’s like the whole entire country becomes The Castro on Halloween.

And there’s a reason why we tear it up on Purim: We are celebrating the fact that long ago in Shushan, Persia, the wicked Haman wanted to annihilate the Jewish people, and through the bravery and creativity of the secretly-Jewish Queen Esther, we were saved.  (The story is way more complicated than that, but that’s kind of it in a nutshell)

Back in the day — (i.e., in the ’80’s when I was a kid) it was customary for kids to dress up as one of the characters in the story of Purim. But now, especially in Israel, anything goes.

So here goes:

Security at the Western Wall is especially tight today.
Photo by Noam Navaro

Juggling
Photo by Judy Lash Balint

Security on the bus is tight.
Photo by Sarah Tuttle-Singer

Sooo cute.
Photo by Maya Assis

ACK!
Photo by Jeanne Cohen Klempner

Purim in between the rain – Nachalat Benyamin.
Photo by
Annie Ahronheim

Spidergirl!
Photo by Yoni Cantor Wiseman

Very cool.
Photo by Ruth Becker Mergi

A beautiful mermaid on land…
Photo by Shaindy Urman

Suave. Very suave.
Photo by Zach Harris

Party on until you don’t know the difference between Blessed be Mordechai and Cursed be Haman.
Photo submitted by Raaya Ben Avraham.

Apparently, Princess Anna from Frozen is a popular choice.
Photo by David Zlotnick

RAWR!
Photo by Jason Fredric Gilbert

Ain’t no party like a kibbutz party.
Photo submitted by Raaya Ben-Avraham

Omg I cannot handle the cuteness!
Photo by Maya Assis.

Photo by Leora Leeder

No raining on THIS parade. (But many others weren’t as lucky)

So sweet…
Photo by Ruth Becker Mergi

Fierce!
Photo by Deborah Michael

Cute!

Awesome.
Photo by Uri Gobey

Possibly the most adorable picture in the entire universe.
Photo by Arsen Ostrovsky

TLV knows how to party
Photo submitted by Miriam Young

So pretty!
Photo by Maya Assis

Photo by Sharon Lieberman

Awesomeness.
Photo by Shara Shetrit

Party on until you don’t know the difference between Blessed be Mordechai and Cursed be Haman.
Photo submitted by Raaya Ben Avraham.

Gorgeous mermaid girl.
Photo by Laura Ben-David

Gallant!
Photo by Karyn Blass

Groovy!
Photo by Shari Wright Pilo

Harry is off to Hogwarts for the Megillah reading.
{hoto by Arnie Draiman

Getting their party on.
Photo by Jon Jacobson

Hello Kitty, a perennial favorite!
Photo by Yoni Cantor Wiseman

Pretty!
Photo by Zach Harris.

Diving Mishloach Manot
Photo by Rivkah White

An arresting Purim…
Photo by Rob Cohen

Purim in Jerusalem… in 1964!
Photo submitted by Celia Maurice

Adorable
Photo by Keren Levy Sokolovsky

Laughter is the best medicine.
Photo by Corinne Berzon

Zombies have taken over Jerusalem.
Photo submitted by Joel Haber

My spidey-senses are tingling…
Photo by Chrystal Henle

The makings of a great road trip.
Photo by Molly Livingstone.

IDF soldiers know how to party.
Photo submitted by Aryeh Rosenberg.

Cinderella and Prince Charming
Photo submitted by Royi Gutkin

Photo submitted by Dov Epstein

Purim parade!
Photo by Sherry Orbach

Ad lo yada…
Photo by Ilan Yaron

Waaay too much Purim

Send me your Purim pics, and I’ll add them: sarah@timesofisrael.com