OK it’s Friday so that means music – here it is, a whole mixtape of African hiphop, for those in the mood.
But actually what I want to blog about today is this:
What on earth is this, you might well ask?
This is a rabbi wearing a Purim makarapa.
Makarapas are a uniquely South African invention: hardhats – often originally used by miners – which have been recycled into festive headgear and typically worn to soccer matches. The top part of the hat is cut out, raised, and colourfully painted.
Makarapas really came into their own when South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup – so you might have seen them in this form:
Many crafters in South Africa set to making them and you could buy them on every street corner. Once the World Cup was over, they might have died a fairly natural death. But South Africans are nothing if not resilient, and so the Makarapa lives on.
But of course new uses have to be found – so why not celebrate also the Jewish high days with one? Hence the Purim makarapa was born.
This to me illustrates the best of South Africa – it’s a cross-cultural wonder of creativity and originality. Where else in the world does this happen??
Get yours today – and if you’re not a rabbi, don’t worry there are plenty of others to choose from…
