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Comparing and Contrasting My Life to the Daily Life of Syria

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Comparing and Contrasting My Life to the Daily Life of Syria

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For breakfast, Syrians eat flat bread and makdoos, a small pickled egg with walnuts, red pepper, and garlic, or they dip bread into olive oil and zaatar (a spice mix made from thyme) accompanied by lamb or goat cheese, yogurt, olives, eggs, and sweetened tea. Traditional dishes in Syrian culture include ful (fava beans with tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil), hummus (a dip made of chickpeas), and mutabal (mashed eggplant).
For desert, Syrians enjoy pistachio baklava (a layered pastry with syrup and nut filling), kunafeh (cheese pastry soaked in syrup), and gazl al-banat (their version of cotton candy).

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Although there are many ways to prepare it, the Syrian style of ful is made with fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and occasionally tahini.

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In this article, Diana Darke investigates the surviving Syrian artistic culture, regardless of the current civil war. In Damascus, the Syrian state media (SANA) created several events such as choir performances, athletic competitions and even a book fair at the Al-Assad National Library. The Damascus opera house, Dar al-Assad, still holds concerts, music festivals, movie screenings, and poetry readings. In Darayya, a Damascus suburb, the people have established a secret underground library with over 14,000 books, plays, and novels. However despite the attempts to keep this culture alive, there have been mixed reviews by the public. Some believe that the government is lying and giving false hope to the people, while others think that putting their lives into something more positive will help improve the outlook for their country. All in all, the people want to continue to enjoy entertainment and have found creative ways in order to adapt.

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This article is part of an ongoing series exploring cultural trends around the world When a country has been at war for over five years, it might seem natural to assume that all cultural life is suspended. In the case of Syria, this is far from true.

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Performed by Anas Kareem
أنس كريم - بحبك من بعد الله

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أنس كريم - بحبك من بعد الله Anas Kareem - B7bek mn Ba3ed Allah 2019

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Damascus, or The Old City, is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East.

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The earliest surviving stone mosque in the world.

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The official language of Syria is Modern Standard Arabic. It is the native tongue of Syrian Arabs.

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74% of Syrians are Sunni Muslims. This branch of Islam is known for its traditionalism, and those who are Sunni recognize the first four caliphs as the Prophet Muhammad's successors. 10% of Syrians are Christians, including Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Maronites, and other small Christian groups.

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Syrians shake hands in order to greet each other, but those who are very religious will not shake hands with those of the opposite gender. Depending on how close people are to each other, they may kiss each other on the cheek or hug each other. Typical verbal greetings include: "May peace be upon you," "hi," and "how are you," but a real answer is not expected. It is all for the sake of politeness. Adults are also to be addressed by Mr., Mrs., Miss. and a last name. If one only addresses an adult using his or first name only, it is viewed as impolite, unless they have a good relationship with one another.

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Women traditionally dress conservatively. Most women wear hijabs or niqabs (a veil that covers the face and leaves only the eyes exposed). Those who wear hijabs tend to wear dresses or jeans, but those who wear niqabs dress in black robes that cover their body. Women also like to wear makeup, colorful nail polish, and hair extensions, even if they can only do it at home.
Urban men like to wear Western clothing consisting of suits and ties or shirts and jeans. Rural men wear Western or traditional Arabic clothing, and the older generation often wears traditional clothing. Syrian men typically have mustaches as a sign of manhood, and some grow long beards to show off their religiosity.

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Syrians like to use their right hands. They pass items with their right or both hands, and left-handed children are encouraged to try to write with their right hands in school. Syrians also do not like pointing. They will use their entire hands, and they also prefer to depend on eye contact to get a person's attention.
As far as sitting, men will cross their legs at the knew, but they do not rest the ankle of one leg on the knee of the other as not to point at another person with their foot. Women do not usually cross legs in public; they will sit with their knees close together and covered. It is unacceptable for women to sit with their knees apart unless their are wearing a very loose, long skirt.

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The most common leisure activity is visiting friends and relatives. Many Syrians like to meet up at restaurants and enjoy drinking Arabic coffee or smoking a water pipe called shisha. Young women enjoy dancing, and young Westernized Syrians go to the club in the evenings. In contrast, the older generation prefers to stay home and watch television.
Soccer is the most important sport in Syria, but many Syrians are fans of foreign professional soccer teams such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Basketball is also a popular sport for both men and women, but women do not play it competitively. The wealthy citizens enjoy tennis, horseback riding, and golf.

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Traditional and Western Syrians share different views in regards to dating and courtship. In traditional families, parents select their children's spouses, and some may date and be in public together before getting married. Those who are more Westernized, pick their own spouses, but are still mindful to pick someone their family would approve.
When a couples decides to get married, the man's family visits the woman's family in order to propose. If the woman's family agrees, the male figures of each side of the families (brothers, fathers, uncles, and grandfathers) will debate over the dowry, place of residence, the marriage party, gifts, what the groom has to pay to his wife in the case of divorce. The bigger the meeting, the more prestigious the couple. The engagement is made official by a ceremony in which the couple signs a marriage agreement, exchange rings to be place on their right hand's fourth finger. Once they get married, they switch their rings to their left hands.
Women typically get married around 25, while men marry around 30. Once they exceed the age of 30, both men and women become pressured to get married. Wedding customs depend on the family and how wealthy they are. Westernized families have traditional ceremonies and a reception of mixed mixed company. Those who are wealthy have extravagant weddings and parties. Conservative families have separate parties for men and women. Men have a religious ceremony while women celebrate with music and dancing. The groom may come and join, but only after the guests have veiled themselves. The bride receives presents at the party, and she changes dresses several times before wearing her wedding dress. In Muslim society, the groom's family is responsible for buying the couple's first home, and for those who are Christian, the bride's family is expected to do so. In rural areas, women are gifted a piece of clay to stick to their new homes, representing that their husband will last a lifetime. If the clay fails to stick or soon falls off the home, it is considered to be a bad omen.
According to Islam, a man may have as many as four wives, but he must have his existing wives' consent, and he must equally support them. Only a small percentage of those in rural communities practice polygamy.
Divorce has become more common in Syrian society, but it is considered to be a choice of last resort. Both men and women can initiate divorce. For an Islamic couple, men can initiate divorce by saying "I divorce you" three different times. There must be a period of reconciliation between the husband and wife after the first and second occasions, but after the husband says "I divorce you" the last time, the divorce is official. They cannot remarry unless the wife marries and divorces from another man first. Divorced men and women can remarry pretty easily, however it can be harder for a woman with children. Women are entitled to their children until they turn seven. Once they are of age, they can live their father, unless the court decides otherwise.

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Pregnancy is a very exciting event meant to be celebrated with family. Women are often asked when they are planning to have children after getting married, especially because it is not considered to be a private matter. Boys are typically preferred over girls, but now families are happy with either gender.

When a child is born into a Muslim family, a sheikh (or community leader) is asked to visit the child and whisper the phrase Allahu akbar (God is great) into his or her ear. A male child is circumcised by a local healer or by a doctor. In Christian families, a new baby is baptized in a church. The oldest son is named after his grandfather so that the name continues to pass down throughout the generations. During the early 2000s, Syrians named their babies after the new president, Bashar, and at the start of the civil war, newborns are often named after fathers or brothers who died from the fighting.
In the circumstance of death, rituals vary between Muslims, Christians, and Druze (another common religious group). For Muslims, the dead are ritually washed by a close relative, dressed in white cotton cloth, and buried quickly with the head turned towards Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Women and men have separate funeral services, and women are not usually allowed to attend the burial. Christians are buried in wooden caskets, and the funeral procession carries the body by car from the hospital or the deceased's home to the cemetery. For those who die as martyrs (those who sacrifice their lives for political and religious causes), their funerals are celebrated like a wedding because martyrs are destined for eternal life in paradise, according to Islamic tradition. Women cheer and sing, their coffins are wrapped with the Syrian flag, and the dead are revered by poets.