Why Don't People Eat "Normal" Meals on Purim?

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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Purim

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Tova

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 7:06 pm

Explicit in every thread about Shalach Manos and what's "good" to give is that "no one eats normal meals on Purim." I'm wondering why not? I eat my regular breakfast and lunch on Purim - eat meal takes what, 15 minutes? My children eat their regular breakfast and I usually make scrambled eggs for them for lunch - quick and easy and good protein. Maybe because I've become "religious" about eating what I need to eat at scheduled meal times and not skipping meals and it's been the best thing for my physical health (which of course affects every area of my life) that Purim is all the more reason to be vigilant about this and not more relaxed.

anonymom

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 7:33 pm

It's a very unstructured busy day for most ppl.

anonymom

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 7:34 pm

Scrambled eggs sounds like a great lunch for Purim. I may just try that and give my kids some protein in between all the nosh.

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 7:38 pm

We also eat normal meals. It does get a little hectic if you go to a later megilla in the morning, deliver MM, and go to the carnival (if you have little kids) and get ready for your seuda, especially if you have guests. But that wouldn't stop me from having a normal breakfast and lunch.

DrMom

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 10:14 pm

A lot of people eat nosh from mm and then have a seudah. People are busy delivering mm and sometimes everyone is out delivering to his/her friends.

Isramom8

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 10:20 pm

Because in some kinds of homes, you're busy from the first minute you wake up. No reason not to try to manage some protein or whatever nutrients you want to make sure your kids minimally consume for the day, though.

chanchy123

Tue, Feb 12 2013, 10:20 pm

DrMom wrote:

A lot of people eat nosh from mm and then have a seudah. People are busy delivering mm and sometimes everyone is out delivering to his/her friends.

That's my experience too, people are tired from partying/preparing MM/Megilah reading/etc. the night before, and the morning is taken up by a long davening, Megilah reading, MM distribution and acceptance, besides getting ready for seuda (in many ways it's like a Friday). Very hectic.

m in Israel

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 2:19 am

The day is very hectic in many homes -- but it really depends on the house. In my house, between getting everyone costumed, working out shifts for megillah (with very young children my husband and I have to go at different times), delivering MM, the door ringing every few minutes, and getting out to make to the seudah on time (we usually eat out, but the seudah must begin early enough to eat the bulk of it before dark) it is hard to squeeze anything in. Additionally, with nosh and snacks coming in and out all day and the kids grazing (oh, please can I have this one?), they may not be so hungry. When I grew up my house was the same, and my parents are community figures who get literally hundreds of MM, so it is still pretty crazy there on Purim. When we go to my IL's though, it is completely different. They do not have young children, my FIL will read the megillah at home at whatever time is convenient, and they give/ get very few MM, so it's a pretty normal day for them.

With all this, though, I do make sure my kids have normal food. I find they go even more crazy if not. So as soon as they wake up I make sure they eat a nutritious breakfast (actually usually scrambled eggs! This seems to be a popular Purim food!). At some point in the afternoon I serve them soup with kreplach, instead of saving the kreplach for the suedah. They eat because kreplach is a 3 times a year treat in our house, so they are excited about it despite the mounds of junk they've consumed!

mfb

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 6:19 am

We actually eat our main purimmeal at about one o'clock

JAWSCIENCE

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 6:55 am

Growing up there was one person who always sent deli sandwiches as their MM and we always ate this for lunch since it was quick and a real meal. Plus it prevented us from consuming tons of dairy nosh.

Right now my day is not hectic and we have a usual lunch but I can see how people getting hundreds of MMs might not have the time.

tissues

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 7:03 am

We eat two seuda meals on Purim day. One at about noon and for the other we wash before shkiya in the afternoon. So yes, we do eat "normal" meals on Purim. (except perhaps breakfast which may get lost in the shuffle of waking up late from night seuda, going to megilla, and delivering mm before first meal, etc.)

checkbefore

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:09 am

We eat our first meal at noon (fish and soup w/kreplach--oh my stomach is growling just thinking of it!) I usually go to my in-laws for the second meal later in the day.

Chayalle

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:18 am

I'm into serving a wholesome breakfast on Purim morning, in order to get an edge in before the noshing begins. I usually serve Scrambled eggs, toast, cut veggies, etc....

Then the fun begins.

I don't do a formal lunch - we would usually eat whatever is available. That's where those deli sandwiches, salads, kugels, etc...make their appearance for a potluck.

Our Purim Seuda is usually around 4:30 or so, and that's supper.

r_ch

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:28 am

I eat scrambled eggs at night after having packed all MM. Only then I notice how hungry I have been the whole time, and since you may not fast on Purim, I eat my night snack:)

On Purim day. Looking as it looks like nowadays in my family, we are divided into three Megila lainen so it gives some time for a hectic breakfast. Then people are divided again bringing MM which leaves only me at home. I deal with receiving other MM. Now it's less stressful because I'm not teaching for the last couple of years, but before, all I had to do the whole day was running to answer the door and back in order to run to the door again. And when all mine come back they are starved or stuffed with sweets that make them all the more hungry. Then it's late afternoon and they'd love to find something to eat, but not too satiating because of the coming seuda.

shabri

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:37 am

Between my and DH going to separate megila lainings since we still have small children at home. Then shalach manos and preparing a seuda for 30+ people, I have no time. I actually usually go to neitz laining, go home to get the kids up, dressed and give them a good breakfast before all the noshing starts while DH is in shul. We meet him there towards the end of shul and deliver shalach manos. He generally likes going to his Rosh yeshiva, who lives across town (have you ever tried driving in Yerushalaim on Purim? It takes forever even on the bus). Then we have more than 30 people for the seudah so it's setting up, getting food organized. DH wanted to start the seudah and 1:30 I said no way so we are starting at 3. Oh yeah, he also has to daven Mmincha in there also.

It doesn't help that I try to set the table for the seudah the night before. S they couldn't eat so much even if they wanted to....

bnm

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 8:50 am

we eat our first seuda by 12 ish, then another when we finish 'rounds' and usually end up at a third. so yes, we eat 3 healthy meals

flowerpower

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 9:17 am

We eat a regular breakfast and from like 12-11 pm we are out! We do end up at a few seudas so I try to give the kids something normal to eat then. But they might still chose the sugar over the meat. Then again-it's their day of fun.

Marion

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 9:26 am

We're solving the problem this year by making our seudah at 12:30...

Tova

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 10:07 am

Interesting to hear what everyone does.

We also go to megilla in shifts, my husband davens hashkama (and leins megillah for that minyan) and he comes home in time for me to make leining at one of the "regular" minyanim (last year I think I met him with the kids in the lobby of the shul and he took them home while I went to another shul down the block). Kids are breakfast'd by then. It's too early for MM deliveries. I get home before 10:00 and our seudah doesn't start until 4:00. We always go to the same family for the seudah so I only have to make my one or two dishes, no other seudah preps.

Between 10:00 and 4:00 is a ton of time. My husband helps deliver the MM on the block and around the corner (about 20 of them, the majority) and then goes to the seder limud while I go with the kids to their teachers, a couple of other deliveries and end off at my parents where we linger a bit. We come home, have lunch and take it easy then (when they were younger it was nap time). I try to get in Tehillim then and daven Mincha but I keep the afternoons very low-key until we leave for our seudah on my husband's yeshiva campus which is, uh, high intensity.

busydev

Wed, Feb 13 2013, 10:15 am

so last year dh went to the early minyan and I got leining at the regular yeshiva minyan. also got home around 10. then we went delivering at 11ish. some people live nearby so they are easy, but we have a number of relatives and friends that dont live close. (we live in yeshiva apts and only yeshiva people live nearby) by family (cousins that we dont see all the time) we had to stop in and say hi and linger- usually not in and outs. then the first seuda we go to is at 2 and after we join my parents seuda which is usually closer to shkia and then go back to yeshiva for the mesiba. so we are out the entire lunch time. Thats why gettin mm that are real food is good... tho I plan on bringing a sandwich for the baby to eat when he is hungry. plus hes probably not gonna get a good nap Confused

... but we need a good 2+ hours to deliver everything.

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