Religious Diversity!
Ok, so yesterday I went to Kristen's Catholic service, stations of the cross I believe? They went through 14 stations. It was interesting, though repetitive, and it looks like the people were all getting quite a work-out, with all their kneeling and standing up and kneeling and standing up and knee- ok, you get the point. It only lasted about 40 mins. These sorts of things are only interesting the first time you go, I couldn't imagine going to somethin' like that every week. But I think it was only a Good Friday thing, it wasn't like how Catholic mass usually is, according the Kristen. I was entertained that the Priest was Irish, and sometimes he sounded a bit like Riff-Raff from RHPS. Anyway, we had enough time to get to the Purim reading/party (it didn't start on time anyway, hah) and we found the Chabad house and met some new people. It wasn't a real service for Jews either, he just read the book of Esther all in Hebrew outside under this tent, while people waited to eat food and socialized. The Rabbi read ridiculously fast. There were groggers for when the name "Haman" was said. I had no idea what place he was reading cause I really can't read Hebrew anymore. I mean, not that I tried, but, he was reading way too fast to even follow, for me, anyway. I had hammantashen (oh god, yum!) and saw TONS of little Jew-babies running around (so cuuute!), and a great horned owl and a lil aligator from the Tallahassee Museum. Anyway, I took some pictures.
First, my favorite part, HAMMANTASHEN!!
New friends with their groggers (it felt like the Rabbi was "grogger-ing" forever!)
More groggers (not sure who this boy is, but he was kinda cute), also, in the background, you can see Dovi (dressed up as a doctor, of course) went to high school with him. He was reading the before and after prayers on the Torah.
Shalom, being ridiculous (he said Purim is a backwards day, and you have to dress up and act crazy and backwards, lol)
Jewbabies! The Rabbi's wife alone has 5 and a half kiddies (1 is on the way! she's the pregnant one on the right) and she isn't even 30 yet, like whoa! All the little girls were dressed up as Queen Esther.
Hehe, and here, Kristen looking utterly confused, what a trooper =P
Yeah, she hid behind the book of Esther, haha.
Aaand, Mr. Awesome Owl, I love his little pose, but it's actually cause he got hit by a car, broke his wing, and it never healed back right.
It was a good time, I think.. Wasn't it Kristen? Hahaha. Well, there was certainly a lot more going on. Oh yeah, and the party was African-themed. So there was African food and people were dressed up in like leopard print and various other costumes. So I guess this is kinda like Jewish Halloween, except it's not pagan.. You still dress up, you don't have to go door to door for people to give you sweets (giving sweets and other foods on this day is a mitzvah, and the two girls we met were giving little bags of chocolate and food to the little girls), and you generally just have fun. Yay Purim!
First, my favorite part, HAMMANTASHEN!!
New friends with their groggers (it felt like the Rabbi was "grogger-ing" forever!)
More groggers (not sure who this boy is, but he was kinda cute), also, in the background, you can see Dovi (dressed up as a doctor, of course) went to high school with him. He was reading the before and after prayers on the Torah.
Shalom, being ridiculous (he said Purim is a backwards day, and you have to dress up and act crazy and backwards, lol)
Jewbabies! The Rabbi's wife alone has 5 and a half kiddies (1 is on the way! she's the pregnant one on the right) and she isn't even 30 yet, like whoa! All the little girls were dressed up as Queen Esther.
Hehe, and here, Kristen looking utterly confused, what a trooper =P
Yeah, she hid behind the book of Esther, haha.
Aaand, Mr. Awesome Owl, I love his little pose, but it's actually cause he got hit by a car, broke his wing, and it never healed back right.
It was a good time, I think.. Wasn't it Kristen? Hahaha. Well, there was certainly a lot more going on. Oh yeah, and the party was African-themed. So there was African food and people were dressed up in like leopard print and various other costumes. So I guess this is kinda like Jewish Halloween, except it's not pagan.. You still dress up, you don't have to go door to door for people to give you sweets (giving sweets and other foods on this day is a mitzvah, and the two girls we met were giving little bags of chocolate and food to the little girls), and you generally just have fun. Yay Purim!