Eid ElAdha Scouts Parade in Jaffa
The Muslim Scouts organized a huge parade through Yefet and all of Ajami neighborhood today in honor of Eid elAdha, the 4 day long Muslim holiday.Kids dressed up in various types of colorful scout uniforms marched through the 'hood, playing a (rather small, believe me i know, i live close by the scouts' practicing grounds, so i've been an almost daily captive witness to their practicing) variety of songs on their drums, clarinets, flutes, bagpipes and trumpets, to the cheering of their proud parents and more or less all of Ajami's residents.
Store owners threw sweets, which were quickly gathered by many of the bystanding kids (and some of the little drummers, who now and then missed a beat or two, in order to catch a colorfully wrapped gum or toffee). The kids marched from the scouting home (Yefet Street) through Salsela street, along the Arab Jewish Community Center, close by the French Embassy (the ElRahim house of pre-1948 lore) , the old folks home and back to Yefet street. Although it was really really really cold, it was dry until the very end of the parade.
And now it's time to go and meet with friends, to eat yet more and talk about what's happening in Jaffa, as not all is well.
Or perhaps we should try not to. not to relate to the violence and in stead think about those soon coming back from Mecca. that's the good thing about Jaffa, we share in each other's festivals. Tomorrow it will be New Year and in another week the Orthodox Christmas. (With another parade).
Eid Mubarak to you all, Happy 2007!
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4 comments:
Does the emblem on the uniforms have any meaning, and if, what are we looking at?
The emblem on the uniform is the international (i think) scouting symbol of the "fleur de lys".
The red uniform is of one of the scouting groups of the Jaffa Muslim Scouts.
The scouts in Israel are all devided by religions, up to the level that eachof the different churches in Jaffa have their own scouts.
They will be parading next week, on January the 7th for the orthodox Christmas. I understand the orthodox Christiansin Jaffa use the pre-gregorian calender, so their festivals take place on different date than those of the western churches.
Usually a group of Jewish scouts from Tel Aviv joins their parade.
Do the eight also have a good/reasonable start for the year 2007?
Not really, i'm afraid, as long children are not recognized, they have no rights...
So caring for this or that need for a little while, doesn't solve the REAL problem.
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