Purim, the Jewish Festival of Lots, celebrates the freedom of Jews from persecution in Persia. The holiday falls during the Hebrew month of Adar, which on the Gregorian calendar is typically in late February or early March. This year it is in March, starting at sundown on March 6 and ending at sundown the following day.

The story of Purim follows an intelligent Jewish woman named Esther, who was married to Persia’s king, Achashverosh. Haman, the king’s adviser, was plotting to execute all of the Jewish people living in the country, and Esther’s cousin Mordecai discovered the scheme. Mordecai inspired Esther to tell the king about Haman’s plot, and the king had Haman executed for planning to kill his wife’s people. This story is told through a holy book called the Megillah, which is read at a special synagogue service.

During the festive celebration, Jews participate in four mitzvot, or commandments. Reading from the Megillah is one of these commandments. People also give gifts to their friends and neighbors, often gift baskets of food and wine called mishloach manot. Hamantaschen are one of the common foods eaten during the holiday and are often placed in the basket. They are triangular cookies with a fruit or chocolate filling — poppyseed is most common — that are meant to represent the shape of the evil Haman’s ear. Additionally, many Jews give money to charity during the holiday in a mitzvah called matanot l’evyonim.

In the synagogue service where the Megillah is read, children dress up in costumes and wear masks. They make noise and stomp their feet every time the name Haman is read. The noisemakers typically used are called graggers, which can include bells, clappers or wooden toys that spin. The purpose of the gragger is to drown out Haman’s name.

Making your own gragger is easy! All you need is a can, duct tape, paper and some coins or beans, and you have a noisemaker for yourself.

How to make a homemade gragger

Step 1: Get a small can, about the size of a cat food can, and peel the label off. Empty it out and clean out the insides so there is no food residue.

Step 2: Fill the empty can with a handful of coins or beans. For coins, pennies are preferable since they’re small. For beans, any will work as long as they are dry.

Step 3: Cover the top of the can with duct tape to seal in the coins or beans.

Step 4: Take a piece of paper and wrap it around the can. Mark the paper with guidelines on where to cut. Make sure to place the mark on the paper slightly farther than the length of the can itself so it will wrap around easier at the end.

Step 5: Cut out the paper according to the guidelines you made while being careful and making sure it is straight.

Step 6: Draw whatever design you want on the paper! Some suggestions include hamantaschen or the Israeli flag.

Step 7: Wrap your design around the can and tape the ends together.

Voila! You can now drown out the evil Haman’s name during the Megillah reading!

Edited by Abigail Henshaw, ahenshaw@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Shirin Rekabdar-Xavier and Mary Philip