JLife looks at the ancient custom and rounds up a list of fancy dress suppliers in Leeds and Manchester.
Why do we Dress up at Purim?
As Purim edges closer and closer (4th and 5th March) and you’re frantically getting all your preparations off to a start, JLife looks into the tradition of why we dress up to mark the occasion.
Ancient Custom
The ancient Jewish custom is to dress up in different costumes on Purim and there are several reasons why we wear costumes. One is because Purim represents “the hidden”, which unlike Passover, for example, where the story and miracles are obviously supernatural, the miracles of Purim are not so clear.
The Book of Esther
In the Book of Esther, which tells the story of Purim, the Persian king Achashveirosh gets drunk at a party and kills his queen, Vashti. He then marries Esther a cousin of the Jewish leader Mordechai. The sequence of events is a string of “coincidences” in a plot to destroy the Jewish people and, finally, a Jewish hero who saves the day. God is nowhere to be found. His name does not appear once in the Book of Esther. Just like God was hidden in the miraculous salvation of the Jewish people, we too hide ourselves on Purim to recall that even when it’s not so obvious, God is always there.
Preserving Dignity
Giving money to charity is a major part of the Purim celebrations. Those who are needy go door to door over the course of the holiday, asking for money. They also go from synagogue to synagogue during services. It is implied that wearing of Purim costumes allows the unfortunate people to dress up and hide their identities while collecting charity – helping to preserve their dignity.
So whatever your reason is for dressing up this Purim and if you’ve not yet decided on what to wear, here is a round-up of fancy dress stores to visit in both Leeds and Manchester.
Leeds
Fancy Dress Experience
88 Otley Road
Far Headingley
LEEDS, LS6 4BA
Thefancydressexperience.co.uk
The Fancy Dress King
Unit 57, Barkston House
Croydon St
Leeds, LS11 9RT
Fancydressking.co.uk
Best Kept Secret
27-29 Headingley Lane
Hyde Park
Leeds, LS6 1BL
bksfancydress.co.uk
Sandroy
Sandroy Fancy Dress
74 Crossgates Road
Crossgates
Leeds, LS15 7NN
Sandroy.co.uk
Over the Rainbow
Over The Rainbow Fancy Dress
3 Valley Road
Pudsey
Leeds, LS28 9ER
Overtherainbow-fancydress.co.uk
North Manchester
Jackies Fancy Dress
88 Cross Lane
Radcliffe
Manchester, M26 2RF
Maskerade
50 Long St
Middleton
Manchester, M24 6UQ
Maskeradeuk.com
UKCostumes4U.Com
115 Rochdale Road
Bury
Greater Manchester, BL9 7BA
Ukcostumes4u.com
Boogie Knights
36 Worsley Road North
Walkden
Manchester, M28 3GW
Boogiefancydress.co.uk
South Manchester
Celebration Party Shop
515 Barlow Moor Road
Chorlton
Manchester, M21 8AQ
Celebrationpartyshop.co.uk
Funky Fever
31 Oakfield Street
Altrincham
Cheshire, WA15 8HQ
Funkyfeverfancydress.co.uk
Aura Fancy Dress
The Market Place
Altrincham
Greater Manchester, WA14 1SA
Aurafancydress.co.uk
One Stop Parties
420 Palatine Road
Manchester, M22 4JT
Onestopparties.co.uk
JLife wishes all our readers and happy and healthy Purim.
Have you checked out our latest competitions? JLife Manchester March/April edition will be out next week!