In the last several years many communities have chosen to elevate the attention given to Queen Esther’s role in the Purim narrative by ringing bells (or waving flags) whenever her name is read from the Megillah. Neither of the strong female characters, Esther or Vashti, are given attention during the Megillah reading as are Mordecai and Haman. By using flags and bells at the mentions of the names of these characters, participants can recognize the actions of these women without drowning out the words of text.