Ramallah’s Ramadan Market offers a space for family and community to come together
Jerusalem24 – The city of Ramallah is holding its very first (hopefully annual) Ramadan Market from Thursday 6 to Monday 10 April, in Al-Haraja Square in the old town – the site of another very popular summertime market of local handicrafts, artworks and foods.
“It’s basically a market where we will exhibit things for Ramadan: decorations, products, foods, Abayat [cloaks],” community activist and a member of the Municipal Council in Ramallah Municipality, Lubna Farhat, tells Jerusalem24. “There will be lots of activities as well.”
The municipality specifically invited women who are the sole breadwinners in their family to exhibit their products.
“We choose these women, the youngsters who have such creative ideas that they would like to share with the public,” she explains. “It’s an open space for these sectors specifically.”
Ramallah municipality is known for hosting many activities on festive occasions, with a particular focus on involving the youngest members of its community in its events.
“Specifically, we will be focusing on artistic workshops for children,” Farhat says, “but we will be also focusing on families and youth as well.”
Farhat says this kind of event is of paramount importance to the community, not only because it gives children the chance to join activities and for families to bond, but also because it allows people to meet and gather, to share ideas and adventures.
“It is a place where all family members can be present,” she says, “[and] it strengthens the community and the ties between [people] in the community, it is very important.”
And of course, during the Holy Month, market-goers can expect a Ramadan atmosphere.
“[In] Ramallah, we like to share all the occasions with the Palestinian people,” Farhat says. “We had 10 days ago the lighting of the [Ramadan] lantern in the old city of Ramallah.” And since this year Ramadan coincides with Easter, “we will have the holy light on Saturday.”
“All these activities of the Muslims and the Christians [combined], this is part of the tolerance that Ramallah has,” Farhat asserts. “We all celebrate religious and national festivals and occasions all together.”
Listen to the full interview on Vibes.
