Traditions of Middle East
Ramadan, hospitality of coffee and dates, Shabbat, Nowruz and the hajj. 191 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
🇧🇭 Bahrain and 3 moreFann at-Tanburaفن الطنبورة
A Gulf song and dance of drums and tanbura, born in healing, now stagedPerformance
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNazarnazar boncuğu
A blue glass eye amulet worn and displayed to deflect the evil eye.Folklore
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreDreidelדרײדל (Yiddish); סביבון (Hebrew)
A four-sided top spun for small stakes, most often by Jewish families at HanukkahGame
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle folk dance kept across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria.Performance
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreYaldā Nightشب یلدا
A solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaFestival · Dinner
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreChaharshanbe Suriچهارشنبهسوری
An Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.Festival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSizdah Bedarسیزدهبدر
An open-air picnic holiday concluding the Iranian New Year celebrationsFestival
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNewrozنەورۆز
A Kurdish spring festival and new year celebration marked by bonfires, dance, and the lighting of fires.Festival
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, Israel and 1 moreAdloyadaעדלאידע
A humorous Purim parade in Israel featuring giant puppets and satirical floats.Festival
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreWinter solstice
The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked with fire, feasting and poetrySeasonal
🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKakava
A Romani night by the river in Edirne: bonfire, candles and pilafFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreKiddush Levanahקידוש לבנה
A Jewish ritual service held after the new moon to bless God for the lunar cycle and seek protection.Spiritual
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreCamel Heda'aحداء الإبل
Camel herders' calls that speak to the herd, kept across the Arabian PeninsulaFolklore
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelTikkun HaKlaliתיקון הכללי
A set of ten Psalms recited for repentance and spiritual healing within the Breslover Hasidic tradition.Spiritual
🇨🇾 CyprusLimassol CarnivalΚαρναβάλι Λεμεσού
A ten-day spring festival in Limassol featuring parades, costumes, satire and foam fights before Lent.Festival
🇹🇷 Ankara, TurkeySohbet meetingsGeleneksel Sohbet Toplantıları
Men's gatherings of talk, music and food, kept in towns across TurkeyPerformance
🇰🇼 Kuwait and 3 moreAl Sadu
A traditional Bedouin weaving craft from the Arabian Peninsula, known for geometric patterns and wool textiles.Craft
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNazarnazar boncuğu
A blue glass eye amulet worn and displayed to deflect the evil eye.Folklore
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreDreidelדרײדל (Yiddish); סביבון (Hebrew)
A four-sided top spun for small stakes, most often by Jewish families at HanukkahGame
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle folk dance kept across Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iran, and Syria.Performance
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreYaldā Nightشب یلدا
A solstice night of poetry, fruit and family, kept from Iran through Central AsiaFestival · Dinner
🇮🇷 Isfahan, Iran and 4 moreChaharshanbe Suriچهارشنبهسوری
An Iranian festival of fire and renewal celebrated on the eve of the final Wednesday before spring.Festival · Tea-time and snacking customs
🇮🇷 Iran and 4 moreSizdah Bedarسیزدهبدر
An open-air picnic holiday concluding the Iranian New Year celebrationsFestival
🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreNewrozنەورۆز
A Kurdish spring festival and new year celebration marked by bonfires, dance, and the lighting of fires.Festival
🇮🇱 Tel Aviv, Israel and 1 moreAdloyadaעדלאידע
A humorous Purim parade in Israel featuring giant puppets and satirical floats.Festival
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreWinter solstice
The shortest day and longest night of the year, marked with fire, feasting and poetrySeasonal
🇹🇷 Edirne, TurkeyKakava
A Romani night by the river in Edirne: bonfire, candles and pilafFestival · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreKiddush Levanahקידוש לבנה
A Jewish ritual service held after the new moon to bless God for the lunar cycle and seek protection.Spiritual
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 moreCamel Heda'aحداء الإبل
Camel herders' calls that speak to the herd, kept across the Arabian PeninsulaFolklore
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, IsraelTikkun HaKlaliתיקון הכללי
A set of ten Psalms recited for repentance and spiritual healing within the Breslover Hasidic tradition.Spiritual
🇨🇾 CyprusLimassol CarnivalΚαρναβάλι Λεμεσού
A ten-day spring festival in Limassol featuring parades, costumes, satire and foam fights before Lent.Festival
🇹🇷 Ankara, TurkeySohbet meetingsGeleneksel Sohbet Toplantıları
Men's gatherings of talk, music and food, kept in towns across TurkeyPerformance
🇰🇼 Kuwait and 3 moreAl Sadu
A traditional Bedouin weaving craft from the Arabian Peninsula, known for geometric patterns and wool textiles.Craft
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
- Chaharshanbe Suri: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Sizdah Bedar: PersianDutchNetwork, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Dreidel: Adiel lo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Adloyada: ד"ר אבישי טייכר, CC BY 2.5, source
- Al Sadu: Ashley Columbus, CC0, source
- Nazar: Alev Akın, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Newroz: Salar Arkan - سالار ارکان, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Winter solstice: Image by Przemyslaw " Blueshade " Idzkiewicz, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Yaldā Night: M.Sadegh Nikgostar/Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, source
- Kakava: CeeGee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Camel Heda'a: Rawan92, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Limassol Carnival: Sergey Galyonkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kiddush Levanah: Wacław Koniuszko, Public domain, source