Happy Purim, the Most Drag-tastic Jewish Holiday

Purim, which starts this evening, is perhaps the queerest Jewish holiday, with a theme of coming out and a tradition of costume wearing. Celebrate with a queer-inclusive Purim kids’ book and books by a Jewish drag queen—and consider fulfilling the holiday’s charitable obligation by supporting drag story times for kids!

Purim is a commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews in the Persian Empire from a plot to destroy them. Part of the Purim tale involves Queen Esther, the wife of the Persian King Ahasuerus, revealing to her husband that she is a Jew, and convincing him not to heed his evil counselor Haman and kill all the Jews. Among other observances, like the reading of the Book of Esther and giving gifts to those in need, Purim is usually celebrated by dressing up in costumes and partaking in a carnival and skits. It’s a time of subversion and merriment.

The association between Purim and being queer has been frequently noted—it’s even been called “a Jewish ‘National Coming Out Day.'” As author Elizabeth Kushner has explained, “Purim is very much about ‘coming out’ as yourself—Esther is a great example of someone who comes out of the closet for a good cause.” That thought led her to use Purim as the backdrop for The Purim Superhero, the lighthearted tale of a boy (who happens to have two dads) as he tries to find the perfect costume for Purim.

Consider, too, that an old (16th century!) and widely accepted interpretation of Jewish law says that on Purim, one may explicitly suspend the traditional prohibition of men wearing women’s clothing and vice versa. For many Jewish denominations today, of course (like the Reform movement I am part of), that prohibition isn’t something we follow at any time—but the point is that drag and Purim have a long and close connection. As the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent has reported, Purim traditions, “along with the popularity of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, have made incorporating drag into Purim celebrations increasingly popular. For kids, drag queen storytelling events provide an opportunity to connect to Purim themes through dressing up.”

If you’re looking for more Purim reading for your kids, then, try The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish and If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It, by Lil Miss Hot Mess, a drag queen who is on the board of Drag Story Hour. She’s also Jewish and even does b’nai mitzvahs! (See my 2022 interview with her here.) There’s nothing particularly Jewish about her books, except for her authorship and their appropriateness for Purim (or anytime, really)—but why not use the holiday as an excuse to give them a read? You could even partake in the time-honored Purim tradition of making up new, silly verses to traditional songs and creating your own versions of these. (My suggestions, which will make more sense if you know the story of Purim: “The Lips of Queen Vashti Said No, No, No”; and “If You’re a Jew and You Know It.” If you’re not Jewish, you can join in with “If You’re an Ally and You Know It.”)

You can also check out one of the many other children’s books about drag. (I suspect that at least one more of them has Jewish authorship, but have not been able to confirm.)

Given the anti-drag bills sweeping the country recently, it’s not surprising that The Hips on the Drag Queen has been banned in some libraries. The Purim Superhero has been banned, too, amidst a spate of bans in Florida related to LGBTQ and racial identities.

Consider, then, that another obligation of Jews on Purim is to give gifts to the needy. These are often gifts of food or clothing (or money to buy them), but some interpret the obligation more broadly and urge taking action towards other forms of social justice on this day. Drag Story Hour is a 501c3 nonprofit, and it has a network of numerous local organizations. Just sayin’. If you want to help fight book bans, too, the National Coalition Against Censorship and PEN America are among the many 501c3 organizations working to stop them.

Happy Purim!