Archive for 'Culture'
Ramadan Posted by aziza on Aug 18, 2009
Muslims around the world, including me, are waiting for the month of Ramadan (رمضان) now. It is the month of fasting and worship, and it is a very spiritual time for all Muslims. Fasting (الصوم) involves not eating or drinking anything from dawn to sunset. This may seem hard, but it is not that difficult…
Arab School days – The morning line Posted by aziza on Aug 1, 2009
School days in the Arab world have a very interesting and special ritual, i.e. the morning line (طابور الصباح). It usually begins half an hour before teaching begins, i.e. at 7.30. When the bell (الجرس) rings, all pupils line up together. They stand in twos in a special place for each class. The class teacher…
Superstitions in Arab Culture Posted by aziza on Jul 21, 2009
Superstitions (الخرافات) play a significant role in Arabic culture. Most people believe in the power of envy (الحسد), magic (السحر), genies (الجن), etc. to affect them and inflict harm upon them. It is not uncommon to hear someone saying that they are ill or that their kids are ill because they have been envied or…
Arab Wedding Traditions Posted by aziza on Jul 15, 2009
Today is my cousin’s wedding (حفل زفاف), so I thought of writing about weddings in some Arab countries, especially Egypt. Weddings are very important and happy occasions in Arab societies, and they have an important social function in conservative societies. They are the culmination of 2 people and 2 families getting together. Weddings are usually…
Egyptian Food: Koshary Posted by aziza on Jun 11, 2009
Have you ever tried koshary (كشري)? It is a traditional Egyptian meal that is usually consumed for lunch. It is very easy to prepare, but takes a long time to do because it contains different ingredients. However, it is very popular, especially that all the ingredients do not cost much, and there are lots of…
Obama’s address to the Muslim world Posted by aziza on Jun 5, 2009
Obama’s speech in Cairo University was a really significant event. It has been awaited with great anticipation and was very well received with a lot of optimism. In his speech, Obama emphasized the strong relationship between America and the Muslim world and the contribution of Muslim civilization to the Western world as well as the contributions…
Aragoz: the famous Egyptian puppet Posted by aziza on May 31, 2009
Aragoz (الأراجوز), also Karagoz is a traditional puppet in Egyptian popular culture. It started about 70 centuries ago, and since then has continued to entertain people, young and old. It is a small puppet of a man with a funny pointy hat and bright clothes. The puppet appears on a small stage or stand behind…