Comments on: Dressing up for Purim: Bibilical or Pagan?

By: vafournier

vafournier — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:35:38 +0000

Comment about Santa Costume at Purim

First look into PANOPTICON: “In her 2008 young adult novel The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, E. Lockhart has the protagonist talk about reading an excerpt from Michel Foucault’s book Discipline and Punish in which he “uses the idea of the panopticon as a metaphor for Western society and its emphasis on normalization and observation” (Lockhart 2008, p. 54). She goes on to bring up the panopticon again throughout the course of the book.” (google)

As a form of rebellion, several secret socities (notably SF Suicide Club later Cacophony Society and later Cacophony 2.0) formed to interrupt the presets we accept as a result of percieved Panopticon. This society is notorious for several “rule breaking” events: The Brides of March, and SantaCon or Santarchy….

Since God is omnipotent and omni in every possible construct, He is the ultimate expression of opticon (The Watcher) in its highest form. Governments, principalities, and societies, watch us – the outcome being that we obediently follow the rules so as not to be noticed – we fail express our true inner feelings and Source of our devotion.

To make a long story short, The Santa Suit at Purim could be making a huge statement on many different levels… Just some thoughts to ponder.
-V

By: Sam (CBM) Houston

Sam (CBM) Houston — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:53:28 +0000

I agree with the blog, I’ve seen how limits are hard to place when you practice the costume thing. My girlfriend in San Diego said her Rabbi dressed up as Santa for Purim… I was totaly speachless. I’m not about to condemn anyone, however I found that disturbing. Under current circumstances I understand some feasts are dificult to celebrate but adding/changing elements in them does bother me a bit. Call me legalistic I guess… jajaja

By: Rabbi Adam J. Bernay

Rabbi Adam J. Bernay — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:19:36 +0000

I think it is in remembrance of Hadassah masquerading as a Gentile… but I’m not sure. It might have to do with the tradition of putting on a play based on the Megillah. I have no issues with Biblical costumes, but beyond that, I’m uncomfortable, unless it’s for a specific purpose (see below). Some in my congregation dress up for Purim, others do not. I dress in my special festivals tunic (from Beged Ivri) and then leave the room to quickly get into a costume for my “Purim Rabbi” comedy skit. This year, I was “the Rabbi Doctor Suessenstein” reading “Green Eggs & Lamb” (my own writing; I understand there’s another version floating around the Net). My costume was an old bathrobe, a fake tallit made from a striped towel, and a blue-and-white “Cat in the Hat” hat (along with some red dots on my cheeks and a red stripe down my nose done with a lipstick).

I don’t see anything particularly pagan about dressing in costume, in the same way I don’t see anything particularly pagan about giving gifts, just not on “Christmas.” But the costumes should be within reason or have a specific purpose.

However, I understand the discomfiture with the practice and if you are not comfortable with it, you shouldn’t engage in it, and the discussion is certainly worth having.