Purim 2011

On the Bookshelf: From Hodu to Kush: anticipating Purim with books on Persian food, lust-filled kings, and biblical heroines, by Josh Lambert

Be Happy: We’re commanded to be happy on Purim, and it turns out the acts required for proper observance—from donning costumes to celebrating with others—provide useful tricks for brightening moods year round, by Ilana Kurshan

Seriously Groggy: The Purim tradition of drowning out Haman’s name with noise dates back to medieval times. But in our increasingly cacophonous lives, an illustrator wonders: Does the grogger need to be reinvented? By Sarah Lazarovic

Boy, Interrupted,: Purim calls for costumes, and we’re fine with seeing little girls dressed up as boys. But a boy dressed as a girl makes us uncomfortable, thanks to stubborn ideas about gender roles. It shouldn’t. By Marjorie Ingall

Dressed Up: With Purim approaching and a costume in order, seeking sartorial inspiration from the Book of Esther, European paintings, Elizabeth Taylor, and several style gurus, one of whom recommends an edible hat, by Erika Kawalek

Emperor’s New Costume: Tablet Magazine’s illustrated column imagines a nudist crestfallen over the fact that he can’t dress up for Purim. Help him fulfill his dream with do-it-yourself cut-outs. By Liana Finck

Purim FAQ: Everything you ever wanted to know about the story of Esther, by the Editors

Sister in Arms: Playing the defiant Vashti in a day school Purim play awakened my inner feminist, by Elisa Albert

Purimpalooza: The Purim story reset in the kingdom of indie rock, by Vanessa Davis

Unmasked: Has Purim replaced Passover as the best holiday vehicle for expressing individual Jewish identity? By Liel Liebovitz

Top Hamantashen: After a painstaking survey, Tablet Magazine awards title for nation’s tastiest triangular treat, by Jenny Merkin