Jordanian Festivals & Traditions
There are many holidays and festivals celebrated in Jordan. Some of them are religious holidays.
Muharram
Muharram marks of the beginning of the Islamic New Year. This happens on a different day each year because the Islamic calendar follows the moon cycle.
Muharram marks of the beginning of the Islamic New Year. This happens on a different day each year because the Islamic calendar follows the moon cycle.
Eid
The Arabic word for festival is Eid. There are some important religious festivals celebrated every year in Jordan.
Click on the photograph if you want to learn about Eid in Jordan:
The Arabic word for festival is Eid. There are some important religious festivals celebrated every year in Jordan.
Click on the photograph if you want to learn about Eid in Jordan:
There are also festivals in Jordan which celebrate the culture of the Bedu (Bedouin). You can also learn about their culture in the Jordan Museum. http://jordanmuseum.jo/en.
They are nomads. Just as the winter is beginning to set in the families move with their animals and their belongings to areas that do not get too cold. During the spring they return to higher ground where grass has grown. Here they can find water and grazing for their animals.
This is how they travelled in the past.
Some of the food was cooked in sand pits. The fire was built in the sand pit and when it burned down the food was put on a rack and put into the pit. The sand around the pit was hot. The food in the pit cooked slowly for a few hours. It was delicious.
Source: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
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The women usually milked the goats and sheep when they return for the night. Some of the milk was drunk and some of it was converted into a yogurt drink (laban) but most of it was converted into butter (samn) and hard dried yogurt (jameed & shanina ) to be used later. |
To make the jameed the women boiled the laban and put it into a fabric bag. When the extra liquid drained from the bag it was salted and put into a skin bag where it was kneaded until it hardened. Then it was rolled into small balls which were put on the roof of the tent to dry in the sun. Once it was dried it could be stored safely to be used for cooking. It was added to dishes like mansaf.
Source: The Jordan Museum
She churns the sour milk by swinging the sa'in backwards and forwards until the butter becomes solid. She then squeezes it to remove any liquid. The liquid is used to make a salted yogurt drink called shanina and jameed which is a dried yogurt drink.
Source: The Jordan Museum
Young babies were put in cradles like this one. |
Source: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
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Here are some other items that could be found in a Bedu (Bedouin) home. You can see coffee pots. You can also see a ladle (mihmasa) on which the coffee beans are roasted.
Source: The Jordan Museum
Serving dishes such as these are used to serve meals such as mansaf. Mansaf is a traditional dish that is prepared for special occasions. Large pieces of lamb are boiled in a copper pot. Jameed is added to the meat. Then the dish is served on thin wheat bread called shrak. It is baked on a metal tray and served in a communal dish like the one below. Everyone eats with their hands.
Source: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum & The Jordan Museum
These women are also preparing food. |
Source: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
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Here are some more items that might be found in a Bedouin home.
Source: The Jordan Museum & The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
Carpets & Rugs
Carpets and rugs are made using traditional methods. Storage bags and saddle bags are also made. They are made of wool and goat hair which has been dyed using traditional colours. Hand-looms are used to weave them. The Bedouin tents are also woven. The goat hair expands when it gets wet so the tent becomes waterproof. |
Source: The Jordan Museum & The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
Wusum
Markings called wusum are used to distinguish clan members and their animals. Each clan uses the wasm of the tribe and the one of the clan. Animals are also branded with the wusum.
Markings called wusum are used to distinguish clan members and their animals. Each clan uses the wasm of the tribe and the one of the clan. Animals are also branded with the wusum.
These are examples of the markings that you would see:
Source: The Jordan Museum
You can see a lot of mosaics in Jordan. The mosaics are artworks that are made from the lots of small pieces of colored stone. |
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The tradition of making mosaics has been continued until the present day. Beautiful mosaics are sold as souvenirs.
Click on the video to see how mosaic is made.
Wooden chairs and boxes are inlaid with mother of pearl.
Bedouin jewellery is very beautiful. Here are some examples.
Source: The Jordan Folklore Museum
Here are some decorated Ostrich eggs. Click on the video below to learn how they are decorated. |
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Folk Music & Dance
The Museum of Folklore has a display of musical instruments that are poplular in Jordan.
The Museum of Folklore has a display of musical instruments that are poplular in Jordan.
Source: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions & Jordan Folklore Museum
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The rababa is a stringed instrument. The frame of the rababa is made of wood. Goatskin is stretched out over the frame. It is played with a bow and has a spike a the bottom so that it can be rested on the ground while being played. |
Here are some traditional dances: