Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Top Ten Types Of Mishloach Manos

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is my attempt to help all of the folks who haven't yet planned their Purim baskets. Simply pick a category that you like, and make em!

10) The Clever Theme: This is the one that everyone feels a need to produce. It's a package filled with assorted food-items and small gifts, none of which would be considered usable on their own. The mini package of unnamed candy, while useless on its own, has immense value as a pink and purple striped package. This is, of course, only for the lady who's theme is pink and purple. The lady who's theme is dentists, would have no use for the unnamed candy, but lots of use for those revolting gummy teeth.

9) The Fancy Homemade: One of my neighbors always makes these. Their cakes may or may not be delicious, but they always look unbelievably gorgeous.

8) The Delicious Homemade: This differs from the previous category in that this shalach manos puts zero emphasis on the aesthetics, and all of it on the taste. This category includes shalach manos such as a cake, still in the disposable pan, placed in a clear food bag with a mini bottle of grape juice, and tied together with a simple knot. This may sound crazy, but these are always my favorite shalach manos. In fact, there's a neighbor of mine who makes the exact same double chocolate cake every year, sends it exactly as described above, and my family always makes sure to pay her a visit. ;-)

7) The Eclectic: this is the shalach manos that fits no other category. It doesn't have a theme, contains no homemade goods, and has no obvious thread to tie the contents together. This shalach manos doesn't have to be all bad. It doesn't contain random inedible foods like the themed shalach manos, so it has more usable potential. This shalach manos also has the greatest recycling potential, as anybody could make one just like it.

6) The Store-Bought: This is the easiest, and usually the most expensive category of shalach manos. This shalach manos can send a message of "I don't have time to make you something nice but I thought of you nonetheless" or "I can't be bothered making something special for you." This shalach manos also has great recycling capabilities, unless the sender commits the ultimate in selfishness: they affix a sticker with their name on it somewhere completely noticable and non-removable.

5) The Oops-I-Forgot: This isn't so much a type of shalach manos, as it is the delivery method. This shalach manos is hastily thrown together, while the children at the door wait. Often recycled, this shalach manos tells the receiver that they weren't on the giver's list that year.

4) The Gift: This is given by people who forget that shalach manos is supposed to be food. The giver's of The Gift often want to do something "grander" than "just" a shalach manos. They can be nice, or useless, depending on the sender. A subcategory of this would be shalach manos WITH a gift. For example, a fancy plate with food on it, or food items arranged on a wrapped box.

3) The Traditional: These people have not forgotten what shalach manos was supposed to be. They often send a bag with some hamentaschen and a pineapple. Although, in today's day and age of shalach manos wars, things like presidor wafers and mint thins in a green box are also pretty traditional.

2) The Funny: This is what I strive to send. It's usually a themed shalach manos, but the difference is that the theme is funny. Or the accompanying poem. Or graphic. Either way, this shalach manos is definately the most purimdik, as it increases simcha all around.

1) The Smile: This is what you get when you bring shalach manos to a princepal of a big school, or perhaps the rav of a huge shul. They don't attempt to make shalach manos for everyone that comes to them. Rather, they smile and thank you for the shalach manos you've given them. This does make sense, in my mind. After all, Purim is not Haloween, and it's not supposed to be about going to other's houses to GET gifts.


Which one do you give?

10 comments:

Rachelli Dreyfuss said...

I think i have done, or plan on doing something like these ones...
don't forget, the random, the overly punny, the insanely extravagant and the incredibly cute!

I LOVE PURIM!

BJG said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jughead's Hat said...

In which category does the lollipop with gummy bears and toothpicks in the shape of a man inside a noose tied to the neck of a bottle of grape juice fall under?

Mystery Woman said...

Mine are a combination of 8 and 9. Homemade and delicious, but it's gotta be packaged beautifully and look pretty. When I get the cakes in the foil pans with the sprinkles, they may taste great, but I never find out because they always look like all the kids in the family helped bake it and I don't know who's little hands were in it...so I don't taste.
Silly, I know.

harry-er than them all said...

can of Dr. Pepper and a tangerine...

Anonymous said...

Mine start off in the Funny category and evolve into the Delicious Homemade (or, at least, I think so) category. It's easier.

itsagift said...

What's if it's a combination? A theme with some delicious and fancy homemade?! & everything connects with a poem too!! It may not be funny but it has a message that people will remember until next year purim. My family can go back to each purim and remember exactly what we did each year and all the kids dressed up according to the theme!

Purim-one of my favorite holidays!!

And ha-one of my neighbors gives the same thing every year. Talk about original and try this: a container of homemade applesauce and a container of chick peas. That's all! Every single year!

Great post, btw :-)

Mushkie said...

I have a basically non-existent budget so I usually give a few cookies and some annoying sugar stuff with a cute poem, but one of my friend's families always makes adorable shaloch manos, e.g. last year they were those pill holders with a dif compartment for every day and rainbow candies (red in sunday, orange in monday etc.) with a whole letter shpiel about how candy and Purim are good for you. I think that's theme? But it's cute :)

Staying Afloat said...

Jughead's Hat- I would call that Awesome. Can you take a picure and post it on your blog?

J.A.P. said...

Oh, we give the funny. :-) Did you see my poem this year? I posted it on the blog.