In the shadow of war, large, colorful parades and carnivals for Purim were canceled in large cities. In Jerusalem, the procession that will take place on Monday, Shushan Purim, will be in the spirit of the time with musical content that was agreed upon with the representatives of the families of the hostages.
Purim will be celebrated on Sunday across the country with hundreds of events. The costumes began to conquer the streets already on Friday, at Purim events held in schools and kindergartens, against the background of an impressive variety of costumes. The fire station in Ramat Gan was visited by excited children who dressed up as firefighters and were given a tour of the fire engines and firefighting equipment.
"It was an exciting experience. Since the morning, Adam has been waiting to visit the station," said Yasaf Akirav, who came with his three-year-old son, Adam, who dressed up as a fireman, for a tour of the station.
After the end of the short school day in the schools and kindergartens throughout the country, many children went outdoors dressed in a variety of costumes and characters amid a festive atmosphere.
Due to the war, in Holon they decided to cancel the traditional “Adloyada” (Purim parade) which takes place every year on Purim and in other cities, including Ramat Gan and Givatayim, the big traditional carnivals on Katznelson and Bialik streets, which were supposed to take place on Sunday, were cancelled.
On Sunday, instead of the central events, there will be a variety of communal Purim events in the neighborhoods of cities, in malls, and large commercial centers.
In Tel Aviv, Purim events will be spread over several areas. A unique event will take place in Jaffa on Sunday - Purim in Jaffa around the world. Visitors to Jaffa will enjoy a tour around the world - the flea market will be decorated as an Indian market, the Toulouse Garden will be decorated as China, the Well Square as Greece with Greek music, the Red Park as Alaska, and in South Park there will be a Brazilian-inspired Carnival celebration.
In the Tel Aviv Port it was decided to place a huge candy gate and paths of sweets and candies and sweet houses for Purim. Visitors will be welcomed by a giant Cookieman cookie and sweet and colorful characters. A chocolate circus show will also take place in the complex.
In Meir Garden in the heart of the city on Sunday there will be a family event with a variety of workshops, children's games, jugglers, parades, clowns, scout facilities, fair and food stands and stage shows by circus jugglers and youth bands.
In the center of Petach Tikva, the traditional Adloyada will be held on Sunday under the title "Am Yisrael Chai", with the aim of encouraging and supporting the home front which is also on the frontlines. The Adloyada route will be decorated with blue and white colors and national flags and will include activity stations related to the State of Israel.
In Hadera on Sunday, starting at 5:00 p.m., a "Carnival" will be held under the title of Israeli Purim, with colorful events as a salute to the Land of Israel and its land and landscapes, to its heroes throughout the generations, to the abundance of culture throughout the generations, and to the music and symbols that unite the Israeli spirit.
On Sunday, there will be a festive event with colorful street characters at the pedestrian mall in Zichron Yaakov.
Festivities in Jerusalem
A Purim parade, adapted to the war period, will take place in Jerusalem on Monday, following a meeting between Mayor Moshe Leon and representatives of the families of the hostages. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed to change the name of the event from Adloyada to the "United Purim" procession. The procession will march along its planned route, in the spirit of the time and with a reduction to the volume of the music.