Saudi kids dress up to celebrate Eid tradition of Al-Hawwamah

Families prepare all sorts of Eid gifts for visitors such as: candy, Al-Qareedh (chickpeas), sugared almonds, and sometimes money. (Supplied)

Children from the Najd region of Saudi Arabia are preparing to celebrate the tradition of Al-Hawwamah, where they walk from door to door wearing new clothes.

The ritual takes place before or during Eid Al-Fitr, depending on family heritage, and is a popular custom in many parts of the Riyadh region. Children donned in their best garments stroll around their neighborhood chanting a traditional tune.

Prior to the celebration, families prepare by shopping for groceries, decorations, and festive clothes. Young boys wear the traditional thobe, and girls a black head covering embellished in gold design

Boys wear traditional thobes. (SPA)

Families also prepare Eid gifts for visitors, such as candy, chickpeas, sugared almonds, and sometimes money.

Gifting money is usually distributed among relatives to younger children to save or spend on more Eid goodies.

Tarfah Abdullah Alhmoudi, celebrated the tradition in her childhood, 60 years ago.

" Al-Hawwamah is one of the ancient inherited customs and traditions celebrated on the day of Eid. Children of the neighborhood gather with each other on the day of Eid, and they are overwhelmed with joy."
Fatimah Alodhaib, Teacher

She said: “My favorite part of Al-Hawwamah was wearing brand new clothes, and we would go around the entire neighborhood chanting the song, ‘I want my fruitful Eid gift, may you have many happy returns of this day, and may you always be healthy and wealthy, may poverty not break your legs or arms.’”

Al-Hawwamah takes place before or during Eid Al-Fitr depending on the family heritage and tradition. It is a popular custom celebrated by the neighborhood in many regions of Riyadh. Children wearing new garments will stroll around their neighborhood chanting a traditional tune. (Supplied)

But she noted that modern-day celebrations were very different.

“I preferred the tradition back then. The difference now is that everything comes all ready and packed up, whereas then it was not like that. We were happy with the old distributions that they gave us, like candied almonds, fudge, and chickpeas. We didn’t have sweets or chocolate like they do today.

"With everything we were given, we were so happy. The goodies would last with us for two weeks too.

Families prepare all sorts of Eid gifts for visitors such as: candy, Al-Qareedh (chickpeas), sugared almonds, and sometimes money. (Supplied)

“The celebration used to start in the top of the morning where kids would knock on neighbors’ doors,” she added.

However, children still rejoice with happy tunes and smiles that brighten the streets and create a modern version of a classic celebration.

Teacher, Fatimah Alodhaib, said: “Al-Hawwamah is one of the ancient inherited customs and traditions celebrated on the day of Eid. Children of the neighborhood gather with each other on the day of Eid, and they are overwhelmed with joy.

Families prepare all sorts of Eid gifts for visitors such as: candy, Al-Qareedh (chickpeas), sugared almonds, and sometimes money. (Supplied)

“They go to take sweets or money by knocking on the door of the neighbors. They consider it their treasure, because in the past, children didn’t always get those sweets. Children have joy in their eyes and the beautiful day stays in their memory.”

Huda Alodhaib said the favorite part of Al-Hawwamah for kids was the variety of sweets they received from neighbors.

“Al-Hawwamah is a collective joy for the children. Some people decorate their houses the night before Eid and prepare sweets and balloons for the children to go out among the neighbors’ houses.”

Alodhaib noted that in her neighborhood those children not wearing traditional clothes instead wore something beautiful or new. And locals could keep up to date on community news through an Instagram account filled with photos and videos of Eid festivities.

Residents flock to barbershop to get ready for Eid across KSA

Turkish barber Sherwan Ahmed is busy as Eid Al-Fitr approaches, his shop abuzz with customers waiting to be groomed for the annual festival

Barbershops at this time of the year employ additional workers to accommodate the demand and are open for long hours. (SPA)

“We have 30 customers a day normally; for Eid Al-Fitr we get 70 customers or more. We stay open all night before Eid and take a well-deserved break on Eid,” said the 32-year-old Ahmed, who works at Capio saloon in Jeddah.

It is the season for barbers in the Kingdom, with most saloons witnessing a 150 percent increase in customers.

Ahmed said Eid Al-Fitr is the peak season for them and most customers want to get a haircut and groom themselves to look neater. “Many people come to the shop two days before Eid, and this continues until the middle of the first day of Eid. We don’t get the chance to go home at night, we stay up to serve customers 24 hours,” Sherwan said.

His colleague, Osman Hadji, said: “Booking for the last two days of Ramadan already completed a week ago. We are not accepting customers without a booking.”

Prices for haircuts and hairstyling surges during the last three days of Ramadan, especially the night before Eid. Barbershops at this time of the year employ additional workers to accommodate the demand and are open for long hours.

Ibrahim Al-Maghrabi, a barber working at Al-Mazioun shop in Al-Zahra district, said: “It is obvious prices will go up because it is a season for us and everyone in the family wants to look good and they will pay anything for that.

“Sometimes customers pay way more from their own generosity, we raise our charges little bit during the Eid rush. If our customers are happy, we’re happy too,” he added.

Fahad Al-Zahrani, 29, told Arab News going to the barbershop before Eid has been a significant part of preparations for the celebrations because Eid is the right time for many to look good. “It is as important as buying new clothes, shoes and other things. Normally, I pay around SR35 ($9.33) for a haircut, but these days they charge me around SR55. This is good chance for them to earn more, especially as they are devoting their day and nights to meet such a big demand,” Al-Zahrani said.

Jordanian national Abdul Wahab Bin Naser said it is part of his Eid ritual to visit the barbershop. “My friends and I go to the barber as late as possible in the night. We get a service number because of the long queue and go to a nearby shop to wait for our turn.

“Queues are endless but the wait is definitely worth it once you see yourself looking sharp and ready for Eid celebration.”

His friend, Hamza Al-Salahi, said: “I do not go to the barber throughout Ramadan due to time constraints, and like many people I also do not care about how I look during Ramadan but when it comes to Eid we have to look our best.”

Asked about prices, Al-Salahi responded: “Definitely prices went up and I feel barbers try to take advantage of this demand but customers will pay anything to look good on Eid.”

Saudi national Bader Al-Harithi said a normal visit to barbershops costs him SR90 for all sorts of beauty treatments, but during Eid it rises up to SR200 for the same services. “I normally do not mind paying them extra since they are doing a perfect job.”

Russia Facing Off Against a NATO-backed ‘Orchestra of Terrorists’, Nicaragua’s Ortega Says

Nicaragua’s president has been a consistent proponent of cooperation with Moscow, and opponent of “Yankee imperialism” throughout his leadership of the Central American nation between 1979 and 1990, and again from 2007 to the present.

Russia is engaged a conflict against an entire “orchestra of terrorists” coordinated by the United States and NATO, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has said.

“NATO is harassing Russia, surrounding it with more weapons, more bases, and the United States is directing an orchestra of international terrorists,” Ortega said during a speech on Peace Day, a Nicaraguan national holiday, on Wednesday.

Ortega, who met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the latter’s tour of Latin America, stressed that the crisis in Ukraine requires a peaceful solution which provides Russia with security guarantees. “We want peace just as Russia wants it, as the peoples of the world want it, as countries like Brazil, Mexico and President Xi Jinping of China have raised it,” he said.

“The Russian Federation is waging a battle for peace, not against the nation, but against the fascists, the Nazis who…carried out a coup in Ukraine…and began to make war on Russians, to persecute Russians born in those lands,” the Nicaraguan president said.

Ortega expressed concerns that the long-feared “Third World War” is already under way, and involves the United States and its European allies, who are “using Ukraine to try to find a way to make Russia disappear. The same thing happened during World War II when Hitler formed his party in Germany, and nobody criticized or condemned him. Rather, the great capitals of Europe and the United States supported him so that he would come to occupy the leadership of that country” to assist in the struggle against the Soviet Union. This only changed during the war, when the West recognized the true extent of the Nazi danger, Ortega said.

Today, Ortega noted, the nations of Europe are gradually coming to the realization that they no longer want to be the vassals of the American “gringos,” who have driven them into a “swamp.”

The Nicaraguan president also emphasized that the EU’s extensive sanctions against Russia failed to stop the country’s economic development and trade.

“Speaking of cooperation between the Russian Federation and Nicaragua, there is clearly an attitude of solidarity of the Russian people with the peoples of the world; they gave their greatest demonstration of solidarity during World War II, where 20, 30, 40 million human beings were sacrificed for peace and to defeat Nazism,” Ortega said.

During his visit to Managua on Wednesday as part of his Latin American tour, Lavrov congratulated the people of Nicaragua on the occasion of Peace Day, recalling that it is “dedicated to the prevention of the state coup attempt. This attempted coup took place five years ago, it was actively supported from the outside, but the Nicaraguan people, led by Daniel Ortega, withstood the situation and restored stability in society. Those who tried to undermine this stability were defeated.”

“We see the West’s attempts...to impose its will on everyone in any part of the world, including in what is presently going on around Ukraine and with NATO’s role of ‘global security guarantor’, including in the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the world. Together with Nicaragua and other friends, we will make an effort to counter that, to draw attention to the inadmissibility of such conduct in the world today,” Lavrov added.

Lavrov’s visit to Nicaragua follows last month’s trip to Moscow by Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada. Greeted by the Russian foreign minister, Moncada and his host discussed food security and energy infrastructure projects, the crisis in Ukraine and efforts to “strengthen relations between the two brother nations.”

The Ortega government’s efforts to shore up ties with Russia, China, Cuba and other non-US allies have made him a thorn in Washington’s side over the course of decades. In the 1980s, the CIA sponsored a brutal guerilla campaign against him, culminating in the defeat of his party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), in 1990. Ortega returned to power in 2007, and again began seeking alternatives to US hegemony in Latin America. In 2018, Ortega’s opponents attempted a violent coup against his government, with investigations later revealing that the coup plot was backed by foreign interests including the Vatican and the United States via USAID.

🇷🇺🇳🇮 Сomo parte de su viaje por América Latina, el Canciller Serguéi Lavrov ha llegado a Managua.

En el aeropuerto, fue recibido por su homólogo nicaragüense, Denis Moncada, y el Representante Especial del Presidente de Nicaragua para las Relaciones con Rusia, Laureano Ortega. pic.twitter.com/cLXDLTLOTB

— Cancillería de Rusia 🇷🇺 (@mae_rusia) April 19, 2023

Next Stop: Russian FM Arrives in Nicaragua Amid Tour of Latin America

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Nicaragua on a formal visit on Wednesday as part of a larger tour of Latin America that began at the start of the week.

Lavrov, who arrived in Nicaragua after previously touring Venezuela, stated during the visit that Nicaraguan lawmakers would participate in the first inter-parliamentary conference between Russia and Latin America in the fall of 2023.

©Photo : MariaVladimirovnaZakharova

"Parliaments and political parties cooperate ... The State Duma [Russia's lower house] has scheduled the first inter-parliamentary conference between Russia and Latin America for fall. Lawmakers from Nicaragua will definitely take part in it. We have received confirmation today," Lavrov told journalists.

"Parliaments and political parties cooperate ... The State Duma [Russia's lower house] has scheduled the first inter-parliamentary conference between Russia and Latin America for fall. Lawmakers from Nicaragua will definitely take part in it. We have received confirmation today," Lavrov told journalists.

The Russian foreign minister further indicated that his Nicaraguan counterpart Denis Moncada had accepted an official invitation to visit Russia. "We will continue our dialogue with my colleague and friend Minister Moncada, who has accepted my invitation to pay a return visit to the Russian Federation," said Lavrov.

Lavrov also took the opportunity to mention that Moscow and Managua are preparing a twin town partnership agreement between the Russian resort city of Yalta on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula and the Nicaraguan city of Granada.

"Now a twin town partnership agreement between Granada and Yalta is being prepared ... A couple of years ago, an honorary consulate of Nicaragua was opened in Simferopol," said Lavrov during the press conference.

Lavrov noted that Moscow welcomes the intensive development of ties between the regions of Nicaragua and Russia.

Also highlighted during the meeting are plans to hold another round of talks on the sidelines of the 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June, at which officials intend to talk on trade and economic cooperation.

SPIEF 2023 will take place in the Russian city of St. Petersburg from June 14-17.

Wall Street falls on downbeat earnings, rate jitters

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., April 19, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

U.S. stock indexes fell on Thursday as disappointing results from Tesla, AT&T and some regional banks dented investor sentiment already soured by prospects of further interest rate hikes.

Wall Street has remained steady this week with mixed earnings from U.S. banks allaying contagion concerns stemming from bank failures last month, but rapidly rising rates and recession worries have dimmed lenders' outlook.

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) tanked 8.7% to touch its lowest in more than a month after its first-quarter gross margin missed expectations due to aggressive price cuts on its vehicles and as CEO Elon Musk has put sales growth ahead of profit.

"Tesla is and has been struggling. They've been cutting prices pretty regularly and that's not something that you do if the market is strong for your product," said Paul Nolte, market strategist at Murphy & Sylvest Wealth Management.

Losses in Tesla and other carmakers Ford Motor Co (F.N) and General Motors Co (GM.N) led to a 1% drop in consumer discretionary (.SPLRCD) stocks.

Consumer staples (.SPLRCS), a defensive sector, was the only gainer in an otherwise weak market.

AT&T Inc (T.N) slid 9.4% as the wireless carrier missed estimates for first-quarter revenue, while American Express Co (AXP.N) slipped 3.2% on missing first-quarter earnings expectations.

Gains of 7% each in chip company Lam Research (LRCX.O) after it beat third-quarter revenue estimates and homebuilder D.R. Horton (DHI.N) following its upbeat full-year revenue forecast helped cut some losses in the broader market.

Analysts have largely retained last week's expectations of a near-5% year-on-year fall in quarterly profits at S&P 500 companies, according to Refinitiv data.

Traders are reassessing the path for interest rates after data indicated that a slowdown in the U.S. economy was not enough to push the Federal Reserve to start cutting rates as early as this year. Comments from Fed policymakers this week have also supported bets on further policy tightening.

Investors see an 88% chance of the Fed hiking rates by 25 basis points next month, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool, but they have also priced in rate cuts by the end of the year.

Data showed the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, suggesting that the labor market was gradually slowing, while another set of numbers showed factory activity in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region slumped more than expected in April.

"The momentum of the data is shifting toward weaker economic growth and the argument in favor of a Fed pause is increasing," David Russell, vice president of market intelligence at TradeStation.

Adding to worries, the cost of insuring exposure to U.S. sovereign debt rose to the highest level since 2011 over market jitters that the government could hit its debt ceiling sooner than expected.

At 11:45 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) was down 96.16 points, or 0.28%, at 33,800.85, the S&P 500 (.SPX) was down 18.73 points, or 0.45%, at 4,135.79, and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) was down 49.15 points, or 0.40%, at 12,108.07.

IBM Corp (IBM.N) gained 1.6% after the software company beat estimates for first-quarter profit.

Among regional banks, Zions Bancorp (ZION.O), Truist Financial Corp (TFC.N) and KeyCorp (KEY.N) dropped between 2.2% and 5.5% after their quarterly profits missed estimates.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.82-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and a 1.72-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

The S&P index recorded 21 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq recorded 39 new highs and 89 new lows.

Russian forces destroy about 500 Ukrainian troops, mercenaries in Donetsk advance

©Russian Defence Ministry/TASS

Russian forces destroyed roughly 500 Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in their advance in the Donetsk area over the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Thursday.

"The enemy’s losses in that direction in the past 24 hours amounted to 470 Ukrainian personnel and mercenaries, three tanks, five infantry fighting vehicles, six armored combat vehicles, four motor vehicles, a Grad multiple rocket launcher, and also a Msta-B howitzer," the spokesman said.

In the area of the settlement of Vodyanoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 72nd mechanized brigade was obliterated, the general added.

Russian assault teams keep destroying Ukrainian troops in western Artyomovsk

Russian assault teams continue actively destroying enemy forces in the western part of Artyomovsk, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Donetsk direction, assault teams continued active operations to destroy the enemy in the western part of the city of Artyomovsk," the spokesman said.

Airborne Force units and artillery of the southern battlegroup provided support to the assault teams and thwarted the enemy’s attempts to counter-attack on the flanks and redeploy reserves, the general added.

"During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical aircraft flew 10 sorties to support the operations of the assault teams. Artillery of the southern battlegroup accomplished 64 firing objectives," Konashenkov reported.

In addition, the strikes inflicted damage on the Ukrainian army units in the area of the settlements of Bogdanovka, Krasnoye and Stupochki in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman said.

Russian forces neutralize three Ukrainian subversive groups in Kupyansk area

Russian forces struck Ukrainian army units in the Kupyansk area and neutralized three enemy subversive groups over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, assault and army aviation aircraft and artillery of the western battlegroup delivered strikes against enemy units. The activity of three Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted," the spokesman said.

The enemy lost "as many as 50 Ukrainian personnel, two armored combat vehicles and two pickup trucks" in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces eliminate over 60 Ukrainian troops, two tanks in Krasny Liman area

Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed over 60 Ukrainian troops and two tanks in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Krasny Liman direction, aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems from the battlegroup Center struck the enemy units near the settlements of Yampol, Seversk Maliy and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

Over 60 Ukrainian personnel, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, a Gvozdika self-propelled artillery gun and a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in that area in the past 24 hours, the general specified.

Russian forces strike Ukrainian army’s headquarters in DPR

Russian forces struck the joint headquarters of the Ukrainian combat group Bakhmut near Konstantinovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the area of the settlement of Konstantinovka, the joint headquarters of the Ukrainian army’s combat group Bakhmut was struck. In addition, in areas near the settlements of Terny and Tonenkoye in the Donetsk People’s Republic, three command/observation posts of the battalions from the Ukrainian army’s 25th air assault and 116th territorial defense brigades were struck," the spokesman said.

During the last 24-hour period, operational/tactical and army aviation aircraft, missile troops and artillery of the Russian group of forces struck 86 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, manpower and military hardware in 127 areas, the general added.

Russian forces destroy 30 Ukrainian troops in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces destroyed about 30 Ukrainian troops in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aircraft and artillery of the battlegroup East struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Ugledar, Velikaya Novosyolka and Shevchenko in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the spokesman specified.

"As many as 30 Ukrainian troops, an armored combat vehicle, and also a D-30 howitzer were destroyed in those directions in the past 24 hours," the general reported.

Russian forces neutralize Ukrainian saboteurs in southern Donetsk, Zaporozhye areas

Russian forces neutralized two Ukrainian subversive groups in the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye areas over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the southern Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted near the settlements of Pavlovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Malinovka in the Zaporozhye Region," the spokesman said.

Russian forces eliminate over 15 Ukrainian troops, US-made M777 howitzer in Kherson area

Russian forces eliminated over 15 Ukrainian troops and a US-made M777 artillery system in the Kherson area over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kherson direction, over 15 Ukrainian personnel, two motor vehicles, a US-made M777 artillery system, and also two Msta-B howitzers were destroyed in the past 24 hours as a result of damage inflicted by firepower," the spokesman said.

Russian air defenses down three Ukrainian combat drones in past day

Russian air defense forces shot down three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the past 24 hours, air defense capabilities destroyed three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles in areas near the settlements of Vladimirovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, Kremennaya and Kuzemovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic," the spokesman said.

In all, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 411 Ukrainian warplanes, 228 helicopters, 3,779 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 surface-to-air missile systems, 8,757 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,090 multiple rocket launchers, 4,626 field artillery guns and mortars and 9,631 special military motor vehicles since the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, Konashenkov reported.

For one Palestinian family in Islamabad, iftar meals blend Arabic and Pakistani cuisines

During Ramadan, Basma Jihad, a Palestinian mother of four, spends most of her evenings in the kitchen of her home, preparing Arabic dishes along with staples or Pakistani iftar spreads.

Jihad’s family have been living in the Pakistani capital for the past 29 years, but still love to cook their favorite Palestinian and Middle Eastern dishes, such as musakhan, maqluba, mansaf, ouzi and qidreh, for iftar to maintain a connection to their cultural heritage while living far from their homeland.

“In Ramadan, we mix in between Pakistan culture and our culture,” she told Arab News, as she cooked katayef, an Arabic dessert commonly served during Ramadan, and poured vegetable oil in a pan to fry samosas, a South Asian pastry with a spiced filling.

“I like iftar in Pakistan, it is different from ours.”

Jihad said that almost all Pakistanis break their fast with dates and starters, such as fruit chaat, pakoras and samosas, while Palestinians immediately start with the main course.

Though Jihad intends to stay in Pakistan with her family due to due increasing tension over Israeli attacks on Palestinians, they periodically visit Palestine, and remain in touch with their relatives and friends by phone.

“If they (my children) go there, I am always afraid. Maybe my son will do something without thinking, and they (Israeli forces) will kill him or put him, in jail. This is one reason I am staying here,” she told Arab News.

“Islamabad is our home now. We really love Pakistan,” she said.

Jihad and her family visit Hebron, her hometown in Palestine, every two or three years.

She returns to Islamabad with special spices and cooking ingredients to prepare Arabic cuisine. These include sumac, a spice used in the national dish of Palestine known as musakhan, as well as bulgur, jameed (dry yogurt) and green olives.

“We visit our country and when we come (back), we put all these things in our luggage,” she said.

Jihad’s rented house in Islamabad is decorated with a Palestinian flag and images of Al-Aqsa Mosque to keep in touch with her homeland.

Her two sons and two daughters were born in Islamabad after she moved there with her husband Jihad Muhammad following their marriage.

One of her daughters, Maryam, a secretary to the Omani ambassador to Islamabad, said that she loves Pakistani food as “it is a mix of tastes which we don’t have in our culture.”

She added: “We have only one taste in the food, but in Pakistani culture in each spoon you have a very different taste of the food.”

Maryam said that biryani and white chicken handi are her favorite Pakistani dishes. She said that her family love to have Pakistani food on the iftar table because of the variety of flavors.

Recalling her visit to Palestine in February last year, Maryam said that she took Pakistani culture there by gifting local handicrafts, spices and shawls to her relatives and friends.

Maryam said that she hopes her cousins and friends from Palestine can spend a Ramadan in Pakistan to experience “the difference of taste” in the South Asian country.