Purim in France also known as I am the hamantaschen...

So a few days ago I posted on Facebook that I watched the cutest little Purim parade from my kitchen window. At first I wasn't sure it was a Purim parade, (because after all I am in France), and because I thought the sounds of singing and laughter were just the kiddies getting out of school and enjoying the beautiful weather we were having. And then I realized that this sounded like more of an organized chaos than I was used to hearing at this time of day from the neighborhood kiddies, and took a look out the window - only to see a Purim Parade!

And then I remembered seeing a picture of a friend's nephew (shout out to Ronn!) dressed as Buzz Lightyear for Purim this year, and it coupled the confusion that I was having with some of the French kiddies Purim costumes - since when have you been able to dress up as whatever you wanted to for Purim? Since forever? Why didn't I get the memo? Because when we used to celebrate Purim when I was little you had two options as a girl, the second of which I believe my mother made up so that I would not have to choose the first.

Option 1: Esther.

Pic via here.

Option 2: Hamantaschen.


Pic via here.

I present to you Exhibit A:

Year: 1988. Scene: Main Line Reform Temple. PA. USA. Notice all of the little girls in dresses. They obviously chose the first option. Notice me in the tall posterboard/cardboard hamantaschen costume (obviously cherry from the red tissue paper) so lovingly and expertly made by my mother to spare me the horror of having to wear a dress (tomboy street cred? Check.). Apparently the kid behind me was also a hamantaschen and had the bad fortune of sitting behind me and my tall costume. Poor kid never saw it coming. At least we hamantaschens stuck together. But I digress...

I see a blue fairy, a princess with a revolver, a girl with a football, and a witch right there! I also saw a little kiddo dressed in black and white stripes like those Halloween convict costumes (you know the cute ones, not the bright orange jumpsuits that people wear nowadays to try to be cool and badass - FAIL). There was also a kiddo dressed as a cowgirl somewhere in that mess of miniature cuteness. So my question is, has it always been industry standard to dress as you wanted for Purim, or is this something new. Discuss amongst yourselves (or comment).

I will admit, being a delicious Jewish pastry for Purim isn't so bad either. Thanks mom. :)