At the conclusion of the war of the Jews against their former aggressors, Mordecai established the Purim holiday as we know it, making the 14th and 15th (for certain cities) of Adar “days of feasting and joy, of the sending of gifts each man to his friend and gifts to the destitute” (Esther 9:22). The nature of the “sending of gifts,” or mishlo’ach manot, from person to person is explained in the Code of Jewish Law (Orach Chayim 695:4) as being the sending of two types of meat or other prepared food to at least one person. This is done during Purim day and not during Purim night — during Sunday rather than Saturday night of this year.
The foods must be ready to eat upon delivery, so that, in theory, the recipient can add them to his or her Purim meal. And while you could send mishlo’ach manot by simply dumping an apple and a water bottle into your friend’s lap, most people like to give — and receive — something with more presentation.
How to make your mishlo’ach manot in three easy steps:
1. Buy yourself a roll of cellophane and ribbon at your local drugstore — any color will do. (Also make sure to pick up any food items that you would like to include in your mishlo’ach manot.)
2. Cut the cellophane into roughly 12 in by 12 in squares, and the ribbon into 8 in strips.
3. Place your chosen goodies in the center of one square, then lift up the sides and tie it all together using the ribbon. (Here, you also have the option to curl the leftover length of ribbon using the side of a pair of scissors.)
And you’re done! The perfect mishlo’ach manot in three steps! This sturdy packaging technique is ideal for making large amounts of mishlo’ach manot, since they are simple to assemble and make for a beautiful presentation.
Happy Purim, from the Ha’Am Staff!
