We’re coming up on Purim March 2nd, the ancient festival celebrating Esther, one of the most famous women in history who saved the Jewish people from genocide through her courage. This kicks off the spring festival season which peaks around Passover/Easter weekend. Wuthering Heights may be a wash, but hanging out with female friends and exchanging sweet treats is a win.
Maybe throw in a little embroidery sewing? Or a girls’ craft night sit-n-sip, the most popular fashion class request people make? It’s a nice break from fresh Italian garden walkways which was more complicated than they first sounded to install. Worth it.
Esther is a rag-to-riches story and my top 5 favorite. It starts with our king with a heart of gold, Xerxes. King Xerxes just survived one assassination attempt by two minor palace officials for trying to reform the corrupt place bribery system. He throws a week-long party. During said party, Xerxes summons his queen, only to have her turn him down flat.
To hold power, King Xerxes holds a country wide contest to find a new beautiful young queen to marry. As a reader, he sounds like a young king thrust into power trying to do the right thing, but we're not sure if he's going to even survive the odds stacked against him. Anyways, Esther’s uncle manages to get his orphan niece in the initial selection pool with deception since he has her hide the fact that she’s a Jew, not his relative. After a year of training, she wins the Queen title for her beauty, but the king rarely sees her.
The plot thickens as we find out that Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, is the person who reported the assassination plot to the ruler and is hated by the chief palace, Haman. Everyone doesn’t know that Haman is the person who was in charge of said bribery scheme which has made him one of the richest people in the land. Haman decides to have all the Jews killed as revenge. Likely set-up for assassination attempt number two. Esther initially turns down her Uncle Mordecai’s request to speak up against Haman as it could lead to her potential death. The most famous line is by Esther’s Uncle in response to her lack of courage, Mordecai, “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Finding courage, Esther and the people pray and fast, then she manages to save her people by pleading for their lives after fainting from hunger (or early pregnancy) in front of King Xerxes and reveals the plot against her at a special dinner party she throws. Haman is killed on the very gallows he planned to hang Esther’s uncle on as revenge for him speaking out about the bribery scheme. The Jews are saved. King Xerxes secures his throne. Anyways, it’s a fun story with a lot of twists and turns about love and courage. An Audrey Hepburn, My Fair Lady, style romance.
Definitely due for a talented screenplay writer to remake it. Casting will make or break. You’d need both a talented young queen and king as well two major older male leads to play the Uncle Mordecai and Haman, but with only 4 major roles, you could really control the budget. Find some old British or Scottish castle? Or make it futuristic and modern? Popular animes have used this successful trope multiple times. Great story.
Today, Purim is a holiday for women to exchange gifts and do fun stuff together. It leads to the next month up to Easter/passover. Perfect for group embroidery and art projects which brings us to restarting Sewing Acts of Kindness for Haus Page. Guest lecturing, the most popular request is always for dark colored bags artists can embroider and make their own. Kids prefer pencil cases since it will hold their classroom supplies. Especially denim. The popular pencil bag kits we used to do at Animazement, etc. will be $18/each in the shop through April 5th. Just the 100% NC denim bag blank is $9. One side is blank and the other has an American flag. If you are a local child or teacher of children who cannot afford it for some reason, please email me directly at: dara@hauspage.com. You are also welcome to purchase kits if you would like to donate to a local charity or school in the area. Have a great week all.
Note: Any kits/finished pencil cases purchased from the shop anonymously will be donated to our Wake county elementary school.