8 Traditional Festivals in Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in western Asia, northwest of the Arabian Peninsula, adjacent to Palestine and Israel in the west, bordering Iraq in the northeast, and connecting with Saudi Arabia in the southeast and south. Jordan is basically a landlocked country. When traveling to Jordan, you need to know the local culture in advance. There are also many local etiquettes and customs. If you want to quickly understand what the country is like, you must know some of their festivals. Let me introduce you to Jordan's traditional festivals.

What are the traditional festivals in Jordan?

The main festivals in Jordan are Muhammad's Ascension Day, Eid al-Fitr, Independence Day, Eid al-Adha, King Hussein's Inauguration Day, Islamic New Year, Muhammad's Birthday, King Hussein's Birthday, etc.

1. Muhammad's Ascension Day

Date: July 27, Islamic calendar

On the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month of the Islamic calendar, it is a holiday commemorating Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension there.

2. Independence Day

Date: May 25

Jordanian Independence Day comes after the Second World War, when the struggle of the people of Transjordan against the British mandate developed rapidly. On March 22, 1946, Transjordan signed the London Treaty with the United Kingdom, abolishing the British mandate, and the United Kingdom recognized the independence of Transjordan. On May 25 of the same year, Abdullah became king (reigned from 1946 to 1951). The country was renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan.

3. Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), also known as Roza (Uyghur: Roza héyt), is a festival celebrated by Muslims around the world to celebrate the end of Ramadan, on the first day of the month of Shemwaru in the Islamic calendar. On Eid al-Fitr, Muslims usually get up early and eat something after praying early, symbolizing the end of Ramadan. Then go out to worship, hug and greet each other, and restore the connection between friends and relatives. Muslims wear festive clothes on this day and are beaming. Eid al-Fitr is not only the end of Ramadan, but also thanks to Allah (the true God) for making their faith stronger. It is a festival of peace and joy. Eid al-Fitr has been around since the Islamic calendar, and the first Rozih was celebrated by the Prophet Muhammad and his family and friends in person.

4. King Hussein Inauguration Day

Date: August 11th every year

On May 2, 1953, King Hussein ibn Talal of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan officially ascended the throne. King Hussein pursued a non-aligned policy and opposed Israel's aggression and expansion. Internally, it is devoted to developing the national economy, cultural and educational undertakings and improving people's lives, and is widely loved.

5. Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha, also known as the "Great Festival", is an important festival in Islam. On December 10 of each year in the Islamic calendar, after the pilgrimage to Mecca. The festival commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim (Christian translated as Abraham) who faithfully implemented the command of Allah and sacrificed his son Ishmael (Christian translated as Ishmael) to Allah, and then replaced this with a lamb. an event. According to the Qur'an, Allah, in order to test Ibrahim, the ancestor of the Arabs and the Israelites, ordered him to kill and sacrifice his son, and he fully obeyed, taking his son to a stone currently used as a holy relic in what is now the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem , ready to kill his son and burn it as a sacrifice to Allah. Allah achieved the purpose of testing him, and ordered the angel to send a black sheep in time for Allah instead of Ibrahim. The Christian Bible records are slightly different. It is believed that Ishmael was the son of Abraham's concubine and returned to Egypt with his mother. Abraham wanted to kill his heir Isaac (Islamic translation is Yisi), who was born at the age of 90. Hager), but the plot is the same. The legend that originated from the Jordanian belief that God inspired people to dedicate their children to God. Jordanians would slaughter sheep and oxen on this day to sacrifice to God. On this day of Eid al-Adha, Muslims wear new clothes, slaughter animals, and keep meat not only for their own homes, but also to distribute to the poor, ensuring that all Muslims have a portion of meat.

6. Islamic New Year

Date: 1st day of Muharram month

As a Muslim country, Jordan, its New Year's Day, also known as "New Year's Day", celebrates the new year according to the time of the Islamic calendar, which is different from January 1 of the current Gregorian calendar in other countries.

7. King Hussein Birthday

Date: November 14

Hussein Ibn Talal (1935-1999), the third-generation king of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the supreme commander of the army, navy and air force. In the complex and turbulent international environment in the Middle East, he flickered like a cat with nine lives, dismissed the British-backed minister Gleb Pasha, drove out the PLO who refused to accept the management, and faced difficulties in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Survival, by the end of his 45-year rule, although he had lost the most fertile West Bank land, he had greatly improved the living standards of his subjects in a desert and was loved by all the people.