ME/NA Christmas traditons

[jordanianprincess 0]

Hi all, well all the other Christmas threads were moved and I'm not sure why. However I wanted to make a thread that shows how different countries in ME/NA celebrate this most blessed holiday. Please feel free to add what you do to celebrate.

Egypt

Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Merry Christmas," "Joyeux Noel" in French, and "I'D Miilad Said Oua Sana Saida" in Arabic

Location: Africa

Tree Type: Cultural

Decorations: Egypt's tree at the Museum is designed to reflect both the ideals of the Coptic Church and Egyptian culture. The pyramids represent Egypt's antiquity while the ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol for life, represents the blending of modernity and old customs in today's Egypt. The ankh also serves as a symbol of the cross for the Coptic Church, which follows the eastern rites of Christianity. It and the images of saints found on the Museum's Egyptian tree are traditional symbols of the Coptic Church.

Traditions: Christmas is preceded by forty days of fasting for strict members of the Coptic Church. Christians abstain from eating any kinds of animal products including meat, poultry and dairy during the month of December.

When Christmas Eve comes on the 6th of January, people go to church for the evening service dressed in new clothes and find hundreds of candles illuminating the building in honor of the candles Joseph lit to keep the Virgin Mary from catching cold on the night of the Nativity. At the conclusion of the service, the sound of bells tells families that their fasts are over and they make their way home for the traditional meal of fata (rice, garlic and boiled meat) and qurban (a biscuits marked with a cross and 12 dots representing Jesus' disciples).

Christmas morning is a time for visiting friends and family and for sharing a shortbread called kaik and a drink called shortbat. Egyptian celebrations of Christ's birth and the time the Holy Family spent in Egypt conclude that evening as families reflect on the Christmas season.

Lebanon

Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Joyeux Noel" (French), "I'D Miilad Said Oua Sana Saida" (Arabic)

Location: Middle East

Tree Type: Non-Traditional / Non-Cultural

Decorations:

The decorations are white to convey the hope for peace in their land.

About two weeks before Christmas the Lebanese plant seeds such as chickpeas, wheat grains, beans and lentils in cotton wool. They water the seeds every day and by Christmas the seeds have shoots about 6 inches in height. People use the shoots to surround the manger in nativity scenes. Nativity figures are made from brown paper. A star is placed above the Nativity scene.

Lebanon is the only mid eastern country that celebrates Christmas as an official holiday. On Christmas Eve the family attends midnight mass. Papa Noel either drops gifts off at church or he makes a personal appearance at the home. The gifts for the children consist of candy and clothes. On Christmas Day a holiday dinner of turkey, roast duck Lebanese salad (Tabouleh) and pastries such as a honey cake (Baklava) or Buche de Noel is served.

Traditionally people visit friends on Christmas morning and are offered coffee, liqueurs and sugared almonds. Lunch at Christmas is the most important meal of the season and the whole family gathers together for it, usually at grandparents or the eldest son's home. The meal consists of chicken and rice, and crushed boiled wheat (bulghur) mixed with meat, onion, salt and pepper (Kubbeh). On New Years day the Lebanese people open their houses for relatives and friends to visit.

SyriaSyria is in the Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey. Other neighbors include Iraq, Jordan and Israel.

On Christmas Eve, the outer gates of the homes of Syrian Christians are locked as a reminder of the years of persecution when all worship had to be hidden. Carrying lighted candles, the family prepares a bonfire in the courtyard. The youngest son reads the Gospel story of the Nativity and the father lights the fire. All gather around to observe the particular way that the fire spreads through the wood as it will determine the luck of the household for the coming year. The family sings psalms while the bonfire rages and, when it finally dies down, they make wishes while they take turns jumping over the embers.

Early on Christmas morning, there is a pre-dawn Mass. A bonfire in the center of the churchyard provides light for a joyous procession where the image of the Christ Child is carried around the church, both inside and outside the building.

Syrian children receive gifts at Epiphany from a very original source, the Smallest Camel of the Wise Men. Legend tells that the Wise Men traveled in a caravan with many camels on their way to Bethlehem. The smallest camel was exhausted by the long journey but refused to give up, his desire to see the Christ Child was so great. When the infant Jesus saw the faith and resolve of this loving creature, he blessed it with immortality. Every year the Smallest Camel visits the children with gifts for those who have been good. It is thought that they learn the importance of even the most insignificant of us from example set by the camel.

Traditions from other nations are making inroads in Syria. In this photo of Hamidiyeh Souk in Damascus, shoppers can find all kinds of Christmas tree decorations along with red stockings to hang up on Christmas Eve.

JordanIT'S THE season to be jolly, and signs of the Christmas spirit can be seen throughout Jordan. From the festive Christmas trees and gingerbread houses decorating hotel lobbies to the glimpses of Santa Clause, the festivities have begun.

No matter what activities are planned this Christmas, Jordan promises it will be one to be remembered. The aroma of fresh baked gingerbread cookies and the sounds of Christmas carols will delightfully bring in the new year.

One of the unique features of Christmas in Jordan is that the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated on three different occasions. The different sectors of Christianity in Jordan celebrate it in their unique way, making the entire month filled with joyous activities and festivities. On 24-25 December the western style Christmas is celebrated in Amman while a traditional Middle Eastern Christmas is celebrated in outer villages.

During 6-7 January, the Greek Orthodox celebrate their Christmas with the community. On 18 January, the Armenian community hold their ceremonies. As a result, Christmas in Jordan and the Palestinian region is an extended season that captures the whole community.

At the same time, the many different Christian communities add a different flavor to Christmas celebrations. The American embassy share their traditional way of celebrating with the Jordanian community. On 15 December, they held an open reception with Christmas treats followed by a concert from the Blues Moon Band. The French community also add their traditional Christmas celebrations to the community hosting a number of activities to participate in the festivities. The German community in Jordan started one of their traditional rituals which includes lighting a candle four weeks in advance and maintaining the count-down until the arrival of Christmas.

Another distinguishing feature of a Jordanian Christmas is that it is near to the original place of the birth of Christ- Bethlehem. This adds a historical significance to the celebrations in Jordan. Many Christians in the community choose the option of spending the special religious occasion where Christmas originally started. A tour of Bethlehem and Beit Sahoor make spending the holidays in the Holy Land a monumental experience.

In Amman, the Christmas celebration started in early December. Local shops host Santa Clause, and the bigger shops offer children the chance to have their photo taken. The sounds of Christmas carols sung by young students can be heard in the streets and in hotel lobbies.

Many hotels are organizing intricate and fun-filled Christmas programs, making sure that adults and children alike participate in the many activities. Getting into the spirit of Christmas, Jordan's Inter.Continental Hotel provided complimentary Gluhwein, hot chocolate, pudding, minced pies, and other goodies during their Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Meanwhile, starting 18 December, Marriott hotel assures all children that Santa is available to hear their Christmas lists and have their pictures taken. Especially for adults, Forte Grand had Austrian musicians flown in to provide traditional Christmas carols, with a full promotion of food, schnapps, and beer.

Hotels are not the only ones providing options to spend the Christmas season in Amman. This year the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) have contributed to the spirit of Christmas. The YWCA has also planned a Christmas agenda for the community, families, and friends.

In preparation for the season, YWCA held a Christmas Sweets and Cake Bake Sale at the end of November. The bake sale was organized by the Student's Loan Committee and held in Mrs Daniel Khouri's home in Abdoun. All proceeds were donated to the fund for educational loans. In addition, YWCA's own Association Band presented their annual Classical Music Concert between 5-8 December. They performed popular Christmas carols at the Royal Cultural Center. These activities served as an introduction to the many festivities to come.

Perhaps one of the most spiritual experiences of a Christmas in Jordan is the traditional village celebrations. The magic of celebrating the birth so near the historical place of Bethlehem adds to the overall beauty of the festivities. These traditions have remained an intricate part of Jordanian Christian villages, and have remained unchanged for centuries. In a traditional Jordanian Christmas, there is no Christmas trees and stockings. The spirituality of Christmas is emphasized in one of the rituals which entails visiting the graves of ancestors on the morning of Christmas. Members of the family present coffee and sweets at the grave, as a sign of respect and remembrance of their forefathers. The ceremony is followed by families and friends exchanging visits and children receiving gifts.

Throughout Jordan the many different options to celebrate the season promise a merry Christmas. Jordan offers a unique glimpse into one of the most celebrated holidays in the world.

JP

[jordanianprincess 0]

Palestine - Eid El-Burbara (Celebrated in Jordan and other ME/NA countries as well)

With the destruction of the remains of the shrine of Saint Barbara in Aboud, the last vestiges of this legendary figure in the Holy Land have been destroyed. But many people in Palestine do not know the feast known as Eid El-Burbara, celebrated on December 16th every year, is actually the feast of Saint Barbara. Traditionally, a sweet pudding-like dish known as burbara is prepared by women all over the country. The pudding consists of shelled and cooked kernels of wheat seasoned to taste with sugar, cinnamon, fennel and anis and decorated with dried, seedless raisins.

The legend of Saint Barbara is, perhaps not surprisingly, related to martyrdom. Known as a virgin martyr, Barbara's name does not appear in St. Jerome's (AD 340-420) martyrology. However, the Orthodox tradition has her down as martyr since the sixth century, when the Byzantine Church of Saint Barbara is believed to have been built in Aboud. It was during the 9th century that stories of legendary acts ascribed to Saint Barbara were included in the collection of Symeon Metaphrastes. According to both local folklore in Aboud and the written narratives by church historians, Barbara was the daughter of a wealthy Roman named Dioscorus. Local Aboud lore has it that she fell in love with an early Christian and converted in secrecy. Her father, a pagan, the story goes, had her put to death when she refused to recant. In the more westernised version of this story, her father first has her shut up in a tower with only two windows, which she secretly converted to three as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. Her father has her dragged before the courts after she confessed to her conversion and had her tortured in prison. Her father, or so the story goes, was killed by lightening after beheading his daughter. Barbara was allegedly executed along with her friend and fellow Christian Juliana, who also joined the ranks of martyrs. The sick and weak came to their graves in search of comfort and healing. There is a controversy as to where Barbara's martyrdom took place. According to one legend it is in Heliopolis in Egypt while others cite Nicomedia, near Izmit, in modern Turkey.

While the facts concerning Saint Barbara are often disputed, it is quite certain that she was venerated in both the East and West as early as the seventh century. As a result of her father's death by lightening, she has often been associated with protection from the dangers of thunderstorms and fire, sudden death and later by analogy, as the protector of artillerymen and miners. When gunpowder was introduced in the Western world, Saint Barbara was invoked as a protector from accidents resulting from explosions. In those early days artillery pieces often blew up instead of firing their projectile.

In the United States military, the Order of Saint Barbara is one of high honour. Both U.S. marine and army field artillery, along with their military and civilian supporters, are eligible for membership in the Order of Saint Barbara. The ancient Order of Saint Barbara and those who are selected for this honour have achieved long-term, exceptional service to field artillery. Ordnancemen of all races and nationalities have claimed Barbara as their patron saint. To this day the powder storage rooms of warships in France are called Sainte-Barbe.

[StupidJourney 0]

In Morocco they have these strange tall and skinny blow up santa dolls. and they say "bonne annee" but that's about it. someone in morocco told me that yesterday too, i'm not sure why?

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Thank you, JP

This thread is so very important, considering that many Americans do not even realize that there is a vibrant Christian culture in the Middle East. I talk to people almost every day who have no idea that Bethlehem is in the Palestinian West Bank, and that much of its population are Palestinian Christians. And unfortunately, most have no idea of what is being done to destroy these people and their heritage.

I have to say: Conditions are very bad in Bethlehem. When I last visited the city just before Christmas in 2004 -- what should be peak tourist season -- it was nearly empty of visitors. I saw just 3 tourists inside the Church of the Nativity. This town absolutely depends on tourism for its livelihood, but its once bustling hotels, restaurants and shops are now nearly deserted.

The Wall has almost finished its work of sealing off the city, and the few tour buses that enter now are Israeli-run day trips, which come for only a few hours, and quickly herd their customers to only a few selected souvenir stalls on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, completely avoiding most of the shops in the city center around the Church of the Nativity.

The people of Bethlehem have reached the point of desperation, and anyone who has the chance to leave usually will. Soon -- unless the Christian people of America take action to push their government to demand a change in Israeli policies -- soon, for the first time in 2000 years, there will be no Christians left in the town where Jesus was born.

"Christmas in Bethlehem: Burden and Hope in the Holy Land"

This is the season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ in the small town of Bethlehem. We sing carols and give gifts because of it, yet how many of us are aware of what is going on today in that little town of Bethlehem we sing about? How many of us know that today Christians in Bethlehem live in a virtual prison and, with other Palestinians, lead lives of increasing poverty hardship and hopelessness. United Nations and World Bank statistics indicate that half the population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip now live on less than $2 a day.

Who are the Christian Palestinians? They are often called "The forgotten faithful" because many Christians, especially Christians in the United States, do not even know that there is an indigenous Arab Christian population in the Holy Land.

These Christian Palestinians in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth and other places are Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians. They are not immigrants. They are not converts from Judaism or Islam. They are the descendants of those who first believed in Jesus Christ. They are the living church in the land where Jesus was born, died and was resurrected, and they are in peril.

In 1948 when the state of Israel was declared, the Christian population of the Holy Land was 18 percent. Today it is less than 2 percent, and that number is rapidly shrinking. Because the punishments and privations imposed by the Israeli military occupation have escalated during the last three years, Christian Palestinians are emigrating in great numbers from the land that their families have occupied for centuries.

Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Bethlehem and a Christian, has asked for the support of American Christians, observing that if conditions don't improve, in 20 years there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States seldom report what Palestinians suffer on a daily basis under Israeli military occupation: the confiscations of their homes and land, the closures of schools, curfews that keep the population confined to their homes 24 hours a day for days at a time, limited employment opportunities, the inability to travel even for religious purposes.

Many, if not most, of these measures violate international law. The wall Israel is building threatens to make the situation even worse. The wall is dividing Bethlehem. In a statement on the separation wall issued August 26, 2003, the Heads of the Jerusalem Churches specifically mentioned the wall in Bethlehem and said "The consequences will be devastating to the Christian Community."

Please pray for the Christians in the Holy Land. Write your representatives in Congress and tell them you are concerned about the breach of international law occurring there and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Testimonial by Mitri Raheb

It is the time of Advent. Christmas is fast approaching. In Bethlehem, in Palestine, it is quiet, very quiet. The streets of Bethlehem are deserted, very unusual for such a season. A strange silence overshadows the area. It is a silence crying loud towards heaven. The silence is disrupted every now and then with the sounds of two Israeli military tanks roaming the streets and announcing curfew: “Mamnou’ attajawul..” “Moving is forbidden…leaving home is forbidden…” In other words, “You are prisoners. Stay where you are or otherwise you are violating the holy military rules…you will be put in prison.” For more than three weeks, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Bethlehem. No one is allowed to leave his/her home. Children are prevented from going to school, workers cannot go to work, and even pregnant women are often denied access to hospitals to deliver. Unborn children are considered to be a threat to the “security of the state of Israel.”

The children of Bethlehem want to play. But playing is dangerous. Many Palestinians killed by the Israel troops during this second intifada are children. Occupation is not only taking their lives but their childhood and souls. They are forced to play what they are experiencing on a daily basis: War. They are imitating the Israeli soldiers. They see what Israeli tanks are doing and the power they have. They feel how weak they are, how weak their parents are and they want to be as powerful as their oppressors. Many families are worried about their children’s aspirations. They are afraid that their children will grow up to believe that the fire of might is stronger than the light of right, that there is no justice in this world, that the world community applauds the oppressor, and that the tanks are the decision makers in the end. The parents in Bethlehem are worried about the souls of their children. They still want them to hold on to the notion of justice, to the vision of reconciliation and to the path of non-violence. Although everything around them speaks an altogether different language, they still cling strongly to the good news of Christmas that God became child in Christ so that all children of the world might have life, and life abundantly.

— Mitri Raheb, senior pastor, The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church and general director of The International Center of Bethlehem. This is a passage taken from Rev. Raheb’s book, Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope at Times of Fear published in March 2004 by Augsburg Fortress

http://www.cjme.org/bethlehem05/

If you want to help, you can. Write your congress reps and senators, and let them know of your concerns. If you are a member of a Christian Church, ask what your church is doing to help support peace and relieve the suffering in the Holy Land. There are many faith-based organizations, as well as secular groups, which provide much needed assistance to those who need it the most.

[jordanianprincess 0]

Thank you, JP

This thread is so very important, considering that many Americans do not even realize that there is a vibrant Christian culture in the Middle East. I talk to people almost every day who have no idea that Bethlehem is in the Palestinian West Bank, and that much of its population are Palestinian Christians. And unfortunately, most have no idea of what is being done to destroy these people and their heritage.

I have to say: Conditions are very bad in Bethlehem. When I last visited the city just before Christmas in 2004 -- what should be peak tourist season -- it was nearly empty of visitors. I saw just 3 tourists inside the Church of the Nativity. This town absolutely depends on tourism for its livelihood, but its once bustling hotels, restaurants and shops are now nearly deserted.

The Wall has almost finished its work of sealing off the city, and the few tour buses that enter now are Israeli-run day trips, which come for only a few hours, and quickly herd their customers to only a few selected souvenir stalls on the road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, completely avoiding most of the shops in the city center around the Church of the Nativity.

The people of Bethlehem have reached the point of desperation, and anyone who has the chance to leave usually will. Soon -- unless the Christian people of America take action to push their government to demand a change in Israeli policies -- soon, for the first time in 2000 years, there will be no Christians left in the town where Jesus was born.

"Christmas in Bethlehem: Burden and Hope in the Holy Land"

This is the season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ in the small town of Bethlehem. We sing carols and give gifts because of it, yet how many of us are aware of what is going on today in that little town of Bethlehem we sing about? How many of us know that today Christians in Bethlehem live in a virtual prison and, with other Palestinians, lead lives of increasing poverty hardship and hopelessness. United Nations and World Bank statistics indicate that half the population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip now live on less than $2 a day.

Who are the Christian Palestinians? They are often called "The forgotten faithful" because many Christians, especially Christians in the United States, do not even know that there is an indigenous Arab Christian population in the Holy Land.

These Christian Palestinians in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth and other places are Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians. They are not immigrants. They are not converts from Judaism or Islam. They are the descendants of those who first believed in Jesus Christ. They are the living church in the land where Jesus was born, died and was resurrected, and they are in peril.

In 1948 when the state of Israel was declared, the Christian population of the Holy Land was 18 percent. Today it is less than 2 percent, and that number is rapidly shrinking. Because the punishments and privations imposed by the Israeli military occupation have escalated during the last three years, Christian Palestinians are emigrating in great numbers from the land that their families have occupied for centuries.

Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Bethlehem and a Christian, has asked for the support of American Christians, observing that if conditions don't improve, in 20 years there will be no Christians left in Bethlehem.

Unfortunately, the mainstream media in the United States seldom report what Palestinians suffer on a daily basis under Israeli military occupation: the confiscations of their homes and land, the closures of schools, curfews that keep the population confined to their homes 24 hours a day for days at a time, limited employment opportunities, the inability to travel even for religious purposes.

Many, if not most, of these measures violate international law. The wall Israel is building threatens to make the situation even worse. The wall is dividing Bethlehem. In a statement on the separation wall issued August 26, 2003, the Heads of the Jerusalem Churches specifically mentioned the wall in Bethlehem and said "The consequences will be devastating to the Christian Community."

Please pray for the Christians in the Holy Land. Write your representatives in Congress and tell them you are concerned about the breach of international law occurring there and the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Testimonial by Mitri Raheb

It is the time of Advent. Christmas is fast approaching. In Bethlehem, in Palestine, it is quiet, very quiet. The streets of Bethlehem are deserted, very unusual for such a season. A strange silence overshadows the area. It is a silence crying loud towards heaven. The silence is disrupted every now and then with the sounds of two Israeli military tanks roaming the streets and announcing curfew: “Mamnou’ attajawul..” “Moving is forbidden…leaving home is forbidden…” In other words, “You are prisoners. Stay where you are or otherwise you are violating the holy military rules…you will be put in prison.” For more than three weeks, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Bethlehem. No one is allowed to leave his/her home. Children are prevented from going to school, workers cannot go to work, and even pregnant women are often denied access to hospitals to deliver. Unborn children are considered to be a threat to the “security of the state of Israel.”

The children of Bethlehem want to play. But playing is dangerous. Many Palestinians killed by the Israel troops during this second intifada are children. Occupation is not only taking their lives but their childhood and souls. They are forced to play what they are experiencing on a daily basis: War. They are imitating the Israeli soldiers. They see what Israeli tanks are doing and the power they have. They feel how weak they are, how weak their parents are and they want to be as powerful as their oppressors. Many families are worried about their children’s aspirations. They are afraid that their children will grow up to believe that the fire of might is stronger than the light of right, that there is no justice in this world, that the world community applauds the oppressor, and that the tanks are the decision makers in the end. The parents in Bethlehem are worried about the souls of their children. They still want them to hold on to the notion of justice, to the vision of reconciliation and to the path of non-violence. Although everything around them speaks an altogether different language, they still cling strongly to the good news of Christmas that God became child in Christ so that all children of the world might have life, and life abundantly.

— Mitri Raheb, senior pastor, The Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church and general director of The International Center of Bethlehem. This is a passage taken from Rev. Raheb’s book, Bethlehem Besieged: Stories of Hope at Times of Fear published in March 2004 by Augsburg Fortress

http://www.cjme.org/bethlehem05/

If you want to help, you can. Write your congress reps and senators, and let them know of your concerns. If you are a member of a Christian Church, ask what your church is doing to help support peace and relieve the suffering in the Holy Land. There are many faith-based organizations, as well as secular groups, which provide much needed assistance to those who need it the most.

Wow MK! Thanks for that! I love to read about how others celebrate. Does anyone have info for your spouses countries?

[jordanianprincess 0]

I thought these were cool

A THRONG OF PILGRIMS ENTERING BETHLEHEM ON CHRISTMAS DAY.

Old photo - Church of the Nativity

Newer Photo - Church of the Nativity

[rebeccajo 14]

I'm going to read all of this....

Why though would it be bad to put this in Off Topic? I think it's nice to share these things with the rest of the community....

[jordanianprincess 0]

I'm going to read all of this....

Why though would it be bad to put this in Off Topic? I think it's nice to share these things with the rest of the community....

Thank you for interest Rebecca, you are welcome to come to ME/NA anytime to read the threads, Why would it be necessary to be moved to off topic? This is directly related to ME/NA and I would prefer this thread to stay as I don't frequently go into other parts of VJ. However anyone is more than welcome to come and read it here.

[rebeccajo 14]

I'm going to read all of this....

Why though would it be bad to put this in Off Topic? I think it's nice to share these things with the rest of the community....

Thank you for interest Rebecca, you are welcome to come to ME/NA anytime to read the threads, Why would it be necessary to be moved to off topic? This is directly related to ME/NA and I would prefer this thread to stay as I don't frequently go into other parts of VJ. However anyone is more than welcome to come and read it here.

It's not necessary but it would be nice. More people would see it in OT. I think threads like this are always well received over there.

[jordanianprincess 0]

I'm going to read all of this....

Why though would it be bad to put this in Off Topic? I think it's nice to share these things with the rest of the community....

Thank you for interest Rebecca, you are welcome to come to ME/NA anytime to read the threads, Why would it be necessary to be moved to off topic? This is directly related to ME/NA and I would prefer this thread to stay as I don't frequently go into other parts of VJ. However anyone is more than welcome to come and read it here.

It's not necessary but it would be nice. More people would see it in OT. I think threads like this are always well received over there.

Well anyone is more than welcome to come here and read it but I prefer to stay out of OT these days as much as possible.

[AngelK96 0]

JP do they have christmas songs in arabic?

If so maybe a thread could be made for christmas music in arabic

[jordanianprincess 0]

JP do they have christmas songs in arabic?

If so maybe a thread could be made for christmas music in arabic

I see you found them! Next week I will be making Ca'ek and Mamoul for Christmas. I will be sure to post photos of the finished result so all of you can drool over them

[jordanianprincess 0]

Iran

Christmas in Iran is known as the Little Feast. For the first 25 days of December, a great fast is observed, during which no meat, eggs, milk, or cheese is eaten. It is a time of peace and meditation; a time for attending services at the church. When the fast is over, the feast is begun, for plenty of meat is prepared for the Christmas dinner.

Christmas Eve is the last day of the fast. Almost before dawn on Christmas Day, the people attend Mass to receive Communion and it is not until they have received this Communion that they are permitted to break fast.

The boys and girls of Iran have never heard of Santa Claus, so they do not exchange gifts at Christmas. But they do receive new clothes, which they proudly wear all during the happy Christmas week.

A dish eaten for Christmas day is a kind of chicken stew. It is cooked in large quantities and lasts several days.

Bethlehem

In Bethlehem the town where Jesus is said to have been born is the site of the Church of the Nativity, which is ablaze with flags and decorations on every Christmas. On Christmas Eve natives and visitors alike crowd the church's doorways and stand on the roof to watch for the dramatic annual procession. Galloping horsemen and police mounted on Arabian horses lead the parade. They are followed by solitary horseman carrying a cross and sitting astride a coal-black steed, then comes the churchmen and government officials. The procession solemnly enters the doors and places an ancient effigy of the Holy Child in the Church. Deep winding stairs lead to a grotto where visitors find a silver star marking the site of the birth of Jesus.

Christian homes in Bethlehem are marked by a cross painted over the door and each home displays a homemade manger scene. A star is set up on a pole in the village square.

Holy Land

Christmas in the Holy Land where Christ is believed to have been born is often full of travelers come to celebrate Christmas. Here in a grotto there is a 14-pointed Silver Star on the floor is where the birthplace is supposed to have been.

There are three Christmas Eves in the Holy Land. One on the 24th December celebrated by the Protestant and Catholic Churches. The second for the Greek Orthodox, Coptic (Egyptian) and Syrian churches. The third is the Armenian Church. At times, all three services are going on at the same time, but, in different parts of the church, as well as in different languages. For lunch they eat turkey, spiced with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg and stuffed with rice, meat,, pine nuts and almonds.

Early in the evening, members of the Protestant church groups would go around singing carols. On Christmas morning children would open their presents before breakfast. After breakfast Protestant people would go to church, and visit friends to wish them a happy Christmas.

The Catholic Church priests would come a bless water from which all members of the family would take a sip.

The member of the Greek Orthodox Church Epiphany is very important. They have a special church service at which a cross was dipped into water to bless it. People would take the water home with them drink three sips before eating anything.

Iraq

In the Christian homes an unusual ceremony is held in the courtyard of the home on Christmas Eve. One of the children in the family reads the story of the Nativity from an Arabic Bible. The other members of the family hold lighted candles, and as soon as the story has been read a bonfire is lit in one corner of the courtyard. The fire is made of dried thorns and the future of the house for the coming year depends upon the way the fire burns. If the thorns burn to ashes, the family will have good fortune. While the fire is burning, a psalm is sung. When the fire is reduced to ashes, everyone jumps over the ashes three times and makes a wish.

On Christmas day a similar bonfire is built in the church. While the fire burns the men of the congregation chant a hymn. The there is a procession in which the officials of the church march behind the bishop, who carries an image of the infant Jesus upon a scarlet cushion. The long Christmas service always ends with the blessing of the people. The bishop reaches forth and touches a member of the congregation with his hand, putting his blessing upon him. That person touches the one next him, and so on, until all have received "the Touch of Peace."

[maryandatif 0]

If it wouldn't offend anyone, I would like to copy the link that MK posted and place it in OFF TOPIC.

It is an intersting read.

Mary K.

[mybackpages 0]

In Morocco they have these strange tall and skinny blow up santa dolls. and they say "bonne annee" but that's about it. someone in morocco told me that yesterday too, i'm not sure why?

Santas in Marrakech