Sunday, March 24, 2019

Purim Parade



We had Purim holiday  last Thursday.  Purim is the most joyous day on the jewish calendar. It is celebrated with  parades, costume/mask parties, gift giving, and a traditional, triangle shaped pastry  named  'hamantaschen' . These cookies are made with a variety of fillings to choose from:  poppy seeds/ fruit jam/  chocolate (My favorite filling - poppy seed or apricot gem).


hamantaschen (Web picture)

The parades are mainly for kids and youngsters;  adults will usually remark : 'once you've seen one, you've seen them all'. They do a great job, though, accompanying their children and sharing the fun and joys of the day.

parents leading the proud little girls to the parade site

muscle man with his baby kid in a red Purim outfit

no place like Dad's shoulders

Father and child in 'strawberry' costumes

little tiger, safely'n his Dad's arms

Each town organizes its own sort of parade ( the most grand and famous being the carnival of Holon city,  south of Tel-Aviv). 
I did not attend this year's local  parade, so I browsed through my pictures of a previous one to get the feeling of Purim. 

The parade included clowns, gymnasts, percussion bands, lots of balloons, cops, and other security guys to assure the order, viewers standing on the pavement or sitting on its edges.


clowns

gymnasts

younger group age of gymnasts


performance  with circles

The dominant color of the event seemed to be red, the color of Joy. However, khaki, white, black, and blue colors were also seen around. 



                                     youth movement teens in khaki uniforms


 bridal white gowns

geometry - squares and circles in white&black combo


blue &yellow ice cream cone hats 


lady in black - what a look in her eyes!!


here she is again; cop across the street watching procession

 percussion bands;  white&green shirts; stylish blue hats

Some adittional things that caught my eye: 

cop in a long embrace with a lady ; while on duty:)


walking on the wooden legs


acrobatics

Hoping we all  happily make it to next year's Purim festivities!


48 comments:

  1. The flag of Brazil caught my eye. I wonder if they came all the way to celebrate Purim in Israel.

    Loved the father and son strawberry costumes! Cute!


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I've learnt something. I had no idea that the green diagonal with the yellow and blue disc on the white shirt of the percussion girl, was Brazil's flag. Thanks for the info.

      Delete
  2. I am especially curious if the cop knows the lady he’s hugging or if they just met. Amazing pictures, as usual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I believe he knows her; probably family or neighbour. Glad you like my photos. Thenk you for the comment.

      Delete
  3. Thanks for sharing this happy Purim celebration! Those cookies look good!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome. The 'hamantaschen' cookies with their various filling options, are very tempting.

      Delete
  4. Delightful! Shared your photos and captions with Norma and we both thank you. Brava!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you liked the photos,
      Thank you and Norma for your kind words.

      Delete
  5. Glad you shared your photos of the Purim Parade! They are great , I love your running commentary about each one and all the colors and variety in what everyone is dressed up as!! Its like we are watching it with you, thru your photos!! The first picture is really fun and I noticed the palm tree and nearby a Dad putting a crown on his daughter!! So sweet and you even provided the Hamantashen!! ♡:))God Bless you!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first picture depicts s scene from a fairy tale, I think.
      Behind the trees, there's the Municipality building - quite a modest one compared to other cities.
      The Dad adjusting the crown on his daughter's head is indeed a sweet gesture.

      Delete
  6. Nice to see people happy and having fun especially in your neck of the woods, Duta!

    My city only has a parade in late August, but it is more elegant and subtle one with traditional dancers and members of National Councils walking in a procession dressed in our Northern National costumes. Everything is usually in golden colours as the festival marks the end of the harvest and celebrates brand new wheat brought from the fields. It is usually a big tourist attraction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For marking the end of the harvest, we have special, smaller festivities which take place in rural places and agriculture schools on Shavuot holiday.
      (I wrote twice on that in my blog - in 2011 and 2018).

      The parade in your city sounds fascinating with its golden colours and processions. Big attraction, indeed!

      Delete
  7. Thank you for sharing your festive culture with us. I knew about the Purim festivities but had never seen them until now. I just know the background, the historical meaning and the story of Ester and how she saved her nation from Haman’s plot to destroy her people. Kudos to you, DUTA, for capturing the fun and sharing! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You seem to know quite a lot about the historical background behind Purim. I'm impressed. The story of Ester is the very core of it all.
      Hugs to you too, Debra.

      Delete
  8. This is delightful! I am looking forward to a thaw, to get outdoors again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jenn.
      The cold weather is keeping people indoors like hostages. They want to feel free to wander outside and have fun.
      Well, hopefully the warm weather is on its way.

      Delete
  9. It's such fun to learn about different cultures, this does indeed look like a happy day in yours. Thanks for coming by so often, I am probably not that good at it. But I am now your latest follower.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True.It can be great fun looking at other cultures.
      Thank you for your comment, and for becoming a follower. That's an honour and a pleasure for me.

      Delete
  10. How fun! Thanks for sharing such great pictures. Those cookies sound really good, I love a good cookie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These cookies are a great treat on Purim holiday, and their making allows for endless creativity of dough and filling.

      Delete
  11. Now that looks a fun day out for the youngsters, and reminds me of the carnivals I used to take part in when I was a lot younger. They were always cheerful days, and made for fond memories, although they were not as grand as this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, a day like this brings back to us happy memories from our childhood and youth - when life was without cares and worries. We had our parents to do most things for us.

      Delete
  12. Sounds like a great festive time for the children and all. I actually looked up Purim and read about Ester. The photos are all great, muscle man looks like a giant. Wonder what the lady in black was looking at. Interesting post, Duta! I always learn something new here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kudos to you, Pam, for reading about Ester. She and her story are the nucleus upon which Purim holiday is based.
      The father with the bare arms/ muscles, and the lady in black stood out,in some humorous way, and caught my attention.
      Thanks for the compliments.

      Delete
  13. Some wonderful photos especially love the first one Your festival feels a bit like our carnival in the netherlands Here in Christchurch we have the christmas parade in which people dress up. The cookies look delicious :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like the photos and the cookies.
      Yes, I know about Christmas parades; they take place in some of the places in our country where there are christian believers. such as Nazareth and Betlehem.

      Delete
  14. Such interesting parade! I love the cute babies.....and the little car.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, babies and toddlers usually 'steal' the show at this kind of happening.
      Yes, the parade was interesting because of its versatilty and colors.

      Delete
  15. Duta, I smiled at your comment that the parade was mostly for children as it appeared that the adults, yourself included, all had a good time as well. We never miss the chance to watch a parade if one is happening, bud sadly there are not as many these days. Those cookie treats did look good too. (Thank for your recent comment on my vodka post. I have tried using vinegar as a cleaner in the past but the kitchen would then smell like a salad. So far, the vodka is proving very effective with the stove top cleaning and I may try some of the other uses for it as well, especially as a mosquito deterrent in the summer months!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Of course,we adults enjoy the parade as well, but we like to rant about it, whereas for kids it's pure enjoyment.

      Thanks for the tip with the vodka. I'll sure try it. However, the vinegar I use is almost odorless; perhaps because it's the cheapest brand on the market. I don't really know.

      Delete
  16. What a parade! Joy on their faces is like sunshine.

    The boys walking on stilts were awesome.
    Visiting from George, Train Ride of Enigma.
    I'm come back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reminding me of the word 'stilts'. I've used "wooden legs" as stilts totally slipped my mind(there are stilts made of aluminium too).
      Stilts in a parade provide quite a lot of entertainment and kids greatly enjoy watching the the boys walking on stilts.

      Delete
  17. Such a lovely post and I enjoyed seeing all of your photographs. The Purim Parade is a colourful and well attended event.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jan. I know from previous your comments that you usually enjoy my photos, and that makes me very glad.

      Delete
  18. How fun! Looks like some of the festivals here in the U.S. Such beautiful, bright colors, and it's so nice to see the customs in your country. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Right. Festivals, parades, look more or less the same everywhere, as they are mainly based on costumes, bright colors, and fun activities (dances, acrobatics, musical performances).

      Delete
  19. Wonderful! My best regards from Romania!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Daliana. Welcome to my little blog.

      Delete
  20. Duta hi!
    Beautiful peorle, colors and cookies!!!
    Many thanks for your kind words!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Magda

      You've got it right. It's all about people, colors, cookies.
      Have a wonderful weekend!

      Delete
  21. Looks like a fun festival.
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed. Fun and Joy go together on this festival. It's not only the parade that provides them , but also the custom of give and receive treats and gifts.

      Delete
  22. I adore this post, Duta! It IS joyful. And you can tell everyone is having a good time. I love the colorful nature of it all. Now I need to go look up Purim. We all need holidays of joy!

    Thanks for your visits to my blog. I'm glad you've been enjoying the Cotswold tour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comment made me happy.
      Thanks Jeanie for your kind words.

      Delete
  23. Love it, Duta. Poerim is so important to celebrate. I've read about it here in The Netherlands too. What is the next Jewish holiday after Purim?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our next holiday is Passover (Pesach). It falls on 19 of April. For a week we are forbidden to eat bread(we eat matza - unleavened flatbread made of flour and water).

      Delete
  24. Thank you fro sharing your cultural event with us. Very enjoyable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome. Yes, Purim is an annual event, and it's both entertaining and enjoyable. It is part of our culture, religion, and tradition.

      Delete