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Happy Purim!

Costumes, gifts and a noisy refrain lead toward a brief reminder of courage.

At a glance

Original language
English
Music and words
Walter J. Kin
Performance
Riglis Band

Story

Happy Purim! is credited to Walter J. Kin for music, words and production, with Riglis Band performing. The published account presents it as a modern celebration song for children and families.

Its source of subject matter is the holiday and the story associated with it; the account does not identify an older Purim song whose words or melody this one translates.

The opening places children inside a crowd already making music. Noisemakers, costumes, masks and sweet food give the scene sounds, movement and objects to recognize. The lyric uses those details as invitations to participate. It is not trying to retell the whole Book of Esther in the space of a dance number.

Versions

A verse about giving food to friends brings generosity into the celebration. In the bridge, Esther and Mordechai are remembered for bravery. This short turn matters: the song's happiness is connected to a story and to relations between people, rather than remaining only an instruction to make noise.

The calls, counting and repeated greeting make space for answers from a group. Listen for the bridge between returns of the refrain, and notice whether the reference to courage changes how the celebration is heard.

The line about happiness being the only task is a playful instruction inside the lyric, not a comprehensive statement about the holiday's observances. The new English recording is the verified musical illustration here; a Russian explanatory article is a way to understand it, not evidence that a Russian adaptation has already been recorded.

Credits & resources

You may sing, perform, teach, record, and share Happy Purim! for non-commercial purposes: schools, synagogues, JCCs, choirs, camps, museums, families, and individuals. Keep the credit to RIGLI and JewishSong.org, and please do not charge for the performance or resell the files.

The music, lyrics, and recording were created for RIGLI by Walter J. Kin, Member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and published by Rigli Publishing as part of JewishSong.org. Full terms and a copy-paste credit line are on our License - Free page. For-profit or commercial use is handled separately.