Purim Costumes: Why We Dress Up and What to Wear

The Holiday of Hidden Things

Purim is the holiday of hidden things.

God’s name does not appear in the Megillah — the Book of Esther — making it the only book of the Hebrew Bible where God is entirely hidden. Esther hides her Jewish identity from King Ahasuerus. Mordechai hides in the background, sending messages through intermediaries. Even the plot itself is hidden until the dramatic moment of revelation at Esther’s second banquet.

And so, on Purim, we hide ourselves. We put on costumes and masks. We become someone else for a day. We play with identity in a way that Jewish life — with its emphasis on authenticity, sincerity, and truth — rarely permits.

The costumes are not incidental to Purim. They are its theology made wearable.

Origins of the Tradition

The practice of wearing costumes on Purim does not appear in the Talmud. The earliest references come from medieval Ashkenazi communities, with the custom becoming widespread by the fifteenth century. Italian Jews — influenced by the Carnival traditions around them — may have been among the early adopters, and the custom spread throughout European Jewry.

By the sixteenth century, the practice was firmly established. Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Rema) mentions the custom approvingly in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch. Some authorities raised concerns about cross-dressing (men wearing women’s clothing and vice versa, which is generally prohibited in Jewish law), but the consensus was that Purim costumes, including cross-dressing, were permissible because they were clearly for the purpose of celebration and humor rather than deception.

The Classic Characters

Every Purim, certain characters appear with reliable frequency:

Queen Esther is the single most popular costume for girls and women. The typical Esther costume involves a crown, a flowing dress (preferably purple or royal blue), and an air of regal determination. Esther is, after all, not just a queen but a heroine — a woman who risked her life to save her people. When a five-year-old in a tiara and cape announces “I am Queen Esther,” she is claiming a legacy of courage.

King Ahasuerus is popular among boys — all you need is a crown, a robe, and a scepter. The character is comically vain and easily manipulated, making him a fun role to play.

Mordechai appears in various incarnations — sometimes in sackcloth (his mourning garb from the story), sometimes in royal robes (his triumphant garb at the end).

Haman — the villain — is a surprisingly popular costume. The traditional depiction includes a triangular hat (the origin of hamantaschen, the Purim pastry), a cape, and a villainous expression. There is something cathartic about dressing as the enemy and then watching him defeated in the Megillah reading.

Beyond the Megillah

Modern Purim costumes have expanded far beyond the biblical characters. In Israeli and diaspora communities alike, you will see:

Superheroes and pop culture: Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, Harry Potter, Disney princesses — children bring their favorite characters to the Purim celebration. There is no rule that costumes must relate to the Purim story.

Animals: Lions, cats, butterflies, dinosaurs. Popular with younger children and deeply adorable.

Professions: Doctors, firefighters, soldiers, astronauts. In Israel, dressing as an IDF soldier is extremely common — and since many teenagers and young adults actually are soldiers, the costume takes on layers of meaning.

Political satire: In Israel particularly, Purim costumes often satirize politicians and current events. This connects to the Purim tradition of social inversion — the powerful are mocked, the serious is made silly, and laughter becomes a form of commentary.

Jewish themes: Some creative costumers dress as Jewish objects or concepts — a Torah scroll, a menorah, a box of matzah, a dreidel. These costumes delight children and adults alike with their cleverness.

Adults in Costume

Purim is not just for children. Adult costuming has a long and venerable history — from the Purim plays (Purimspiel) of medieval Europe, in which adults performed comedic retellings of the Esther story, to modern synagogue celebrations where the rabbi shows up dressed as Elvis and the cantor appears as a clown.

In Israel, adult Purim parties are major social events, complete with elaborate costumes, music, and the kind of uninhibited celebration that characterizes Israeli Purim. Bars, clubs, and community centers host Purim events that rival (and predate) Halloween parties.

In the diaspora, some communities hold Purim carnivals with costume contests, while others integrate costumes into the Megillah reading itself — the entire congregation showing up in costume, creating a visual cacophony of color and absurdity.

The permission to be silly, to be someone else, to shed the responsibilities and dignities of daily life for a single day — this is Purim’s gift to adults. Jewish life is serious. Jewish law is demanding. Jewish history is heavy. Purim says: for one day, put all of that aside. Put on a crown. Wear a cape. Be ridiculous. God — the hidden God of the Megillah — might be laughing with you.

The Adloyada

Israel’s Purim carnival — the adloyada — takes its name from the Talmudic phrase ad d’lo yada (“until one does not know”), referring to the obligation to celebrate until one cannot distinguish between “blessed is Mordechai” and “cursed is Haman.”

The first adloyada was held in Tel Aviv in 1912, and it has become one of Israel’s most beloved civic traditions. Modern adloyada celebrations feature parades with floats, marching bands, costumed participants, street performers, and a carnival atmosphere that transforms entire cities.

Holon, near Tel Aviv, hosts one of the largest adloyada celebrations in Israel, attracting hundreds of thousands of participants. Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, and other cities hold their own versions. The parades are secular in character but Jewish in essence — they celebrate the joy, the humor, and the defiant celebration of survival that Purim represents.

The Deeper Meaning

Beneath the sequins and face paint, Purim costumes carry a serious message: things are not always what they seem.

The world appears random, but there is a hidden order. People appear ordinary, but they may harbor extraordinary courage. Enemies appear invincible, but they may be on the verge of downfall. God appears absent, but God may be present in the very events that seem most Godless.

When you put on a costume, you experience — physically, viscerally — what it feels like to be someone else. You see the world from behind a mask. And you realize that everyone around you is also wearing a mask — not just on Purim, but every day.

The costumes come off at the end of Purim. But the insight stays. In a world of appearances, the truth is always hidden just beneath the surface. Finding it — and having the courage to reveal it, as Esther did — is the work of a lifetime.