Traditions of Middle East
Ramadan, hospitality of coffee and dates, Shabbat, Nowruz and the hajj. 194 traditions on EveryParampara so far.
🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and 4 moreMajlis
A traditional sitting room and community assembly for hospitality and civic counselEtiquette
🇰🇼 KuwaitDewaniya
An evening gathering and reception central to Kuwaiti social, business, and civic lifeEtiquette · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇷 IranGabbehگبه
A thick, boldly simple wool rug, hand-woven by women in Iran's Zagros MountainsCraft
🇮🇶 IraqMudhifالمضيف
A traditional reed guest house kept by the Ahwari people of southern Iraq for ceremonies and hospitality.Home
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 2 moreMezuzahמְזוּזָה (mezuzah)
A parchment scroll with Hebrew verses placed in a case on the doorposts of Jewish homes.Spiritual
🇮🇷 Shiraz, IranHaft-sinهفتسین
Seven symbolic items whose Persian names begin with S, set out for NowruzSeasonal · Feasts and festival meals
🇮🇷 Tabriz, IranPersian carpetفرش ایرانی
Hand-woven knotted rugs and flat textiles crafted across the towns and tribes of IranCraft
🇹🇷 Istanbul, TurkeyTurkish tea culture
Two stacked pots, tulip glasses, and a choice of strong or weak tea in TurkeyTable custom · Tea, coffee and drinking ceremonies
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreSukkahסוכה
A temporary hut with a branch roof, lived in for the seven days of SukkotSpiritual
🇮🇷 IranTaarofتعارف
An Iranian code of ritual politeness, where offers and refusals are traded with graceEtiquette
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 3 moreHanukkah menorah
A nine-branched lamp that gains one more flame on each of Hanukkah's eight nightsSpiritual
🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreKashrutכַּשְׁרוּת (Hebrew)
The Jewish dietary laws: what may be eaten, and how it is preparedTable custom
🇮🇱 Safed, Israel and 2 moreZemirotזמירות
Jewish table hymns sung during the three meals of Shabbat and holidaysSpiritual · Dinner
🇮🇱 IsraelShabbatonשבתון
A Jewish communal retreat or educational program centered on ShabbatSpiritual
🇮🇶 IraqShabbat mealsסעודות שבת
Three ritual meals eaten across the Jewish Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday nightTable custom · Dinner
🇮🇱 Safed, IsraelShalom Aleichemשָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם
A traditional song sung on Friday night to welcome Sabbath angels into the homeSpiritual
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreEidiyahعيدية
The holiday custom of presenting cash and gifts to children and relativesFestival
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Haft-sin: HengamehRM, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Majlis: Abū Zayd ibn Muḥammad ibn Abī Zayd, CC0, source
- Mudhif: Hassan Janali, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, source
- Mezuzah: Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
- Turkish tea culture: henribergius, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sukkah: Gilabrand, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kashrut: Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Taarof: Oxlaey, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Zemirot: ביקורת, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Shabbat meals: Yoninah, Public domain, source
- Hanukkah menorah: Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eidiyah: Rahbar Emamdadi, CC BY 4.0, source
- Persian carpet: Jastrow, Public domain, source