When it comes to special holiday events, we love to high style them, leave an impression and really publicize the joyous celebration! And on Purim, you have to create a unique theme from the costume to the food. Unlike Chanukah’s oil and Shavuous’ dairy, Purim doesn’t specifically have any unique foods or tastes, aside from hamentashen, that one can work around from, so the best route for a stylish Purim theme is to base it around the costume. Here are some way to highlight your Purim themes and parties to go beyond just costumes and candy:
Go authentic on your theme – Sure, you can find a huge selection of costumes at Ricky’s or online, but if you’re trying to create a full unique theme for your entire Purim, while also on a family budget, you need to go authentic. Head over to Chinatown for a large selection of authentic silk mandarin dresses and robes that will fit your one-day-only Purim budget. Stay local and visit Coney Island Avenue’s numerous Indian clothing stores selling inexpensive saris and kurtas. At authentic clothing stores, you’ll also be able to find plenty of theme-related apparel, dishware, and designs to supplement and add to your seudah and mishloach manos, creating an entire authentic theme all day long.
De-construct everything – Who doesn’t love the abundance of hamentashen, candies, and chocolate you get on Purim? Although you may be a kid at heart or have eager children who can devour it all in one week, having 300 pieces of candy can wreck anyone’s self control and waistline! Try deconstructing the sweets down into something stylish and less “candyish” – create a caramel for candy apples, use a crock pot to melt the chocolate down into a silky fondue for dipping, and grind the cookies down into a crunchy topping or crust for an apple crumble or pumpkin pie. By deconstructing your mishloach manos, you can make them healthier, less tempting and more useful for your entire meal.
Go for a new cuisine – Unlike oil on Chanukah or dairy on Shavuot, there’s no real food genre to base Purim around. Which is why going for an entirely different cuisine is an enticing culinary adventure, especially since you’ll have a Shabbos full of the usual meat and potatoes. Indian and Persian food is the most suitable choice for Purim because of the ancient story. Going Cowboy and Tex Mex style (not Gangnam Style) with your Texas costumes is a nice spicy BBQ option in this chilly weather. Going for the timeless Princess theme? Create a high styled tea party that guests can join in while they make their mishloach manos rounds, complete with finger foods like scones, mini pancakes, and mini quiche.
Go savory instead of sweet – You’ll get candy, you’ll get cookies, you’ll get dozens of foods suitable for dessert from dozens of your friends. If stockpiling candies and sweets isn’t your thing, then start a new trend and go savory on your mishloach manos. Ditch the chocolate chips and apricot jam and fill your hamentashen with sweet potato and pumpkin, savory treats that can be eaten throughout the meal. If you have great culinary flair, you can even prepare a mini three-course mishloach manos consisting of savory appetizer, single bite entrée, and sweet dessert. For the meat lover, meat-filled hamentashen, similar to fried wontons or the Bukharian samsa dumpling, would make an excellent appetizer!
Highlight your Purim celebration and you’ll leave your guests with fantastic Purim themes, foods, and memories for years to come!