Palestinian Culture – by Abbas Hamideh

The Palestinian culture is part and parcel of the Arab and Islamic world. The Palestinians are deeply rooted in their rich culture and history which contains all 3 major religions of the Abrahamic faith with Islam being the dominant faith practiced by the majority of Palestinians. The Palestinian society and their Holy Land is also solidly connected with the oldest Christian community in the world where Issa (Jesus) was in fact born. Yes, like it or not, Jesus was Palestinian.

The culture includes phenomenal art, poetry, embroidery, fine cuisine and of course music of the land. The most famous of poetry is by Palestinian National poet Mahmud Darwish which echoes across the land and every corner of the Earth and even sang by the most of popular Arab singers like Marcel Khalifa.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Palestinian culture is folkloric dance and if you have folkloric dance it must come with folkloric music and folkloric beautifully embroidered costumes. The famous dance is called the Dabkeh which is performed at every special occasion you can imagine and of course most prevalent at weddings.

The Palestinian culture cannot be separated from the political realm and national aspirations as a people. The Palestinian society is intrinsically connected to cultural resistance and their plight to liberate their land and be free! There are over 10 million Palestinians around the world who are connected to their land and their Palestinian culture is alive and well!

The most important and famous symbol of the Palestinian culture which identifies a Palestinian is the Kuffiyeh or Hatta. This is a black and white diamond shaped cloth (careful not to call it a scarf) that is usually worn proudly around the neck and shoulders as a hawiyaa (identity) of a Palestinian. This piece of material has also become the symbol of resistance, bravery, and courage on a global scale!