Holiday of Creativity – Handmade Costumes “Two Trees” for Purim 2021
Purim. Known sometimes as the Jewish Mardi Gras or the Jewish Halloween is by far my most favorite holiday of the year. Everyone dresses up in extravagantly creative costumes and parades through the streets in a party like no other. This year, things will no doubt be quite different, but that didn’t stop us from our yearly creative frenzy!
Purim is the perfect outlet for us to express our creativity. We take these festivities as the perfect opportunity for us to create an epic and one-of-a-kind costume. As it is one of the only chances to wear beautiful gowns, long, fancy dresses tend to be our theme year after year. And of course we always have matching/coordinating costumes! In the past, we have been the sun and the moon, two birds of Israel, and a cheetah and a jaguar.
History of Purim
Purim is one of the happiest of Jewish holidays. It commemorates the Biblical story of Queen Esther. Queen Esther, whose real name was Hadassah was a young Jewish girl who, through the ancient version of a beauty contest, became the Queen of Persia. She hid her Jewish identity from the king until a royal official in the kingdom arose who planned to kill all the Jews. Right before the day decreed for the massacre of the Jews, Queen Esther told the king that she too was a Jew and was able to save her people from annihilation. The days of grief were transformed into days of joy. Just as Queen Esther hid her identity from the king, to this day, on Purim we hide our identity with masks and costumes to commemorate this amazing story!
It is also tradition to get extremely and excessively drunk (hence the crazy parties). Crowds and performers fill the streets of Israel for this incredible festival. Street parties with thousands of people, everyone in costume, is the norm for multiple days. Everyone is trying to guess the other’s costume. And the best part….it’s not just for the kids! EVERYONE dresses up, young and old. It’s really so much fun.
Purim 2021
Even though this year we certainly won’t be celebrating with mass parties with thousands of people, we are still dressing up! Having a hard time coming up with a creative costume idea, Brooke and I were trying to think of something unique. Jokingly she said to me, “whatever I can’t think of anything….let’s just be trees.” We both laughed. So stupid right? But then we sat in silence for a few moments and I looked at her. “No really….what if we’re trees. We can make a beautiful, long brown dress, narrow like a tree trunk and then add some green to a hat on top and leaves and voila!” And that is how our tree costumes were born.
We went the next day to the fabric stores and somehow, miraculously, found two brown fabrics that literally could not have been more perfect. We couldn’t imagine what someone would buy these for except a tree costume. The were brown and textured with ribs looking almost identical to tree bark. We found a few shades of green toile for our headpieces, some decorational leaves, and headed home to start creating.
We decided to make matching dresses; long, narrow, and simple to look just like a tree trunk. To add the effect of branches, we made long ‘evening’ gloves that went all the way up the arm. For the leaves, we wound together the green toiles to make a sort of a headpiece that would look like the top of a tree. Wrapping fake leaves all around the green ‘hat’ and the brown dress was the final touch. Two trees. Now the next step….a photoshoot.
“Two Trees” Photoshoot
What better place to take a photoshoot of our costumes, two trees, than in a park. We would fit right in….quite literally. So we made our way to the urban park, Park HaYarkon, in Tel Aviv very early one morning. We dressed up in the costumes and started to shoot, imagining ourselves just as the trees in the forest. We wanted more than anything to have a whole group of people to dress up with, and we could all be different trees. And then together, what would we be? A forest…..
What do you think of our costumes? And the holiday of Purim? I can never get over the small fame that Purim has around the world. If I was a tourist, I would be rushing to Israel just to celebrate Purim as it is one of the best country-wide festivals I have ever seen!
Lots of Love,
Danielle and Brooke, Colorful Sisters
70 Comments
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hisprodigal1
February 25, 2021 at 2:35 pmBrings a pretty new meaning to the phrase “Turning over a new leaf” 😊
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:14 pmHahahah so very perfect!
meghanewhite
February 25, 2021 at 2:52 pmI love your costumes! Thanks for the history of Purim.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:14 pmThanks so much! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Melody S. Owens
February 25, 2021 at 3:14 pmAbsolutely stunning. ladies. Wonderful combination of costuming and fashion! What next?
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:14 pmThanks so much!! Next are some photos we took in almond blossom trees!!
Greg Dennison
February 25, 2021 at 3:58 pmThat’s awesome! I knew the story of Esther, but I never knew people dressed in costumes on Purim. Nice trees.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:15 pmYess it’s really such a fun holiday!
makaylajesalyn
February 25, 2021 at 4:07 pmThat’s so awesome that its pretty much a city-wide costume party! Your idea for this year is cool! I have to say, I really loved the other Purim costumes you’ve made too! Especially the god and striped dress reminiscent of the hoopoe bird! 😍 For Purim, we watch the same Esther movie every year! 🤣 I like this holiday too!
makaylajesalyn
February 26, 2021 at 7:41 pm*”GOLD and striped dress”, not “god and striped dress”! *facepalm*
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:20 pmHhahahaha I understood!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:15 pmYess exactly! And we also love to watch the Esther movies too….which one do you watch?
makaylajesalyn
February 28, 2021 at 6:05 pmThe one called “One Night with the King”. It’s very dramatic! 😅
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 6:12 pmYessss that’s the best one!!
makaylajesalyn
February 28, 2021 at 6:23 pmI absolutely agree!
Pretty, Pretty Good Short Fiction
February 25, 2021 at 4:26 pmFantastic…2 super trees!!!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:15 pmHahahahahaha 🙂
nikkidiscovers
February 25, 2021 at 4:32 pmThis is so inventive you both look great and you could wear the dresses again. Thanks for sharing I didn’t know about this holiday. I know about Esther but, didn’t know about this.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:16 pmYesss for sure! They are re-usable haha happy to have shared some new info with you 🙂
Paula Light
February 25, 2021 at 6:01 pmBeautiful and creative!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:16 pmThanks so much!!
Maggie Kuhn
February 25, 2021 at 6:13 pmThis is AWESOME! I had never heard of Purim. How cool 😎 I want to dress up. Also the history add in was fascinating thanks for making such an incredible post! 😊
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:16 pmYesss it’s so much fun!! Maybe you can come visit Israel for next year’s Purim!
cmartzloff
February 25, 2021 at 6:39 pmSo creative!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:17 pmThanks!!!
Vanya Wryter Consulting
February 25, 2021 at 8:06 pmLearned something new about Purim today!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:17 pmYayyyy!!!!
365dniwobiektywielg
February 25, 2021 at 8:16 pm😍👍
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:17 pm🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Manasa
February 25, 2021 at 10:07 pmOh my God! Simply loved this!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:17 pmYayyy thank you!!!
jbcowgill
February 26, 2021 at 12:42 amAmazing costumes. Happy Purim to the both of you.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:17 pmThanks so much!!
jbcowgill
February 28, 2021 at 6:51 pmYOU are very graciously welcome so much.
gracexaris
February 26, 2021 at 1:00 amEsther was my childhood hero – my version of a favorite Disney princess and role model. I always went to Fall Festival, the church’s alternative to Halloween, as her. I never knew that Purim involved costume parties or alcohol!!! Color me a huge new fan.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:18 pmYess it always makes me sad that they never made a Disney princess movie out of Esther! It’s the perfect story!
Michele Lee
February 26, 2021 at 1:05 amWonderful post. I appreciated learning about Purim.
I so needed this costume in 2019. For Halloween, my husband dressed as Bob Ross, the painter, and I was the happy little tree. Mine was not nearly as creative as yours. I still had fun though. 🌲
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:18 pmHahaha that’s still super fun! Would love to see pictures haha
Thomas Pickard
February 26, 2021 at 2:53 amFantastic! I love the costumes and thank you for bringing the history of purim.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:18 pmThanks so much!!! Happy you enjoyed 🙂
arielaonthego
February 26, 2021 at 2:59 amVery creative! 😊
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:18 pmThank you!!
Kris
February 26, 2021 at 6:01 amThe story of Esther is one of my favorites and Purim is a festival that, although, I don’t celebrate, I do understand where and why it exists. your dresses are stunning and the idea!! Brilliance!! The fabric does look exactly like bark. Talking trees, incredibly CS Lewis of you. Used to make costumes when my eldest was in HS-so much fun!!!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:19 pmIt’s so fun to make costumes!! Happy you enjoy it as well. We were so excited to find that “bark” fabric….it was so perfect!
thisdollhere
February 26, 2021 at 2:58 pmOh wow! This is so cool. Youre super talented!
http://www.thisdollhere.com
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:19 pmThanks so much!
Simon
February 26, 2021 at 3:32 pmGreat costumes! They looked really great in the pictures!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:20 pmThank you so much! It was fun to wear them around Tel Aviv as well!
Simon
March 3, 2021 at 9:27 pmI bet, you must have had a riot 😂
Colorful Sisters
March 8, 2021 at 5:39 pmHahahah we certainly did!
catldy99
February 27, 2021 at 1:28 pmnice work ladies!
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:20 pmThanks so much!!
viewfromoverthehill
February 27, 2021 at 9:27 pmWish I could join you. It would be so much fun. Enjoy the holiday. Enjoy each and every day.
Colorful Sisters
February 28, 2021 at 5:21 pmThank you so much! Wish you could join as well 🙂
Sunday Post – 28th February, 2021 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost | Brainfluff
February 28, 2021 at 12:07 pm[…] of Creativity – Handmade Costumes “Two Trees” for Purim 2021 https://colorfulsisters.com/2021/02/25/holiday-of-creativity-handmade-costumes-two-trees-for-purim-2… I love this quirky travelogue site and this particular blog article is my favourite of theirs so […]
Sreedevi Nair
March 3, 2021 at 11:33 amCostumes and get up look is amazing and so real…pictures do justify that creativity is infinite
Colorful Sisters
March 3, 2021 at 11:45 amThank you so very much!! 🙂
CatRutgers4Art
March 8, 2021 at 6:29 pmWonderfully creative costumes and great photos!! Delightful.
Colorful Sisters
March 8, 2021 at 6:32 pmThank you so much!!!
Dena@shaldenandneatham
March 13, 2021 at 3:29 pmLove this! Sharing with friends.
Colorful Sisters
March 14, 2021 at 6:48 pmOh wow thanks!!!
Ju-Lyn
March 25, 2021 at 6:53 amFun! Love the colours!
Colorful Sisters
April 5, 2021 at 7:12 amThanks so much!!
marisselee
April 5, 2021 at 2:05 amBoth of you have very beautiful eyes
Colorful Sisters
April 5, 2021 at 7:15 amThank you so much!
Victoria
April 5, 2021 at 4:31 pmSo inspiring! Thank you both
Dean Kyte
June 16, 2021 at 4:53 amTrès inventive, Colorful Sisters. That brown ruched fabric really makes it. Your millinery skills are also top-notch. When you get to Australia in your travels, you’ll have to come up with a head-turning hat-and-frock combo for our Melbourne Cup.
Colorful Sisters
July 7, 2021 at 3:36 pmYess we were sooo excited to find that brown fabric! It couldn’t have been more perfect. And wow the Melbourne Cup and traveling to Australia in general is the dream! One day for sure!!
BetzyBrize
November 29, 2021 at 5:11 amI enjoyed a lot… fun article… nice costume 😁
Colorful Sisters
December 19, 2021 at 10:30 pmThanks so much!! So happy that you enjoyed 🙂