It’s time to come together and celebrate April as Arab Heritage month! Let’s get hyped and remember where our roots are from. And if you don’t carry Arab blood, don’t worry, you can still celebrate with us; just be mindful of the things you do or say!
Being a Arab female is sometimes hard. You get mistaken for automatically being Muslim or a terrorist. An Arab doesn’t mean Muslim, a Muslim doesn’t mean an Arab. Arab is an ethnicity, while Muslim is relgion. Remember there is Arab Jews and Arab Atheists. There have been times in the Arab community where people are afraid to talk to them or hate them because they think that all Arabs had something to do with 9/11. But we as a community cannot live in fear. It’s time to raise and show what being Arab is really about.
In the Arabic culture, giving gifts is suitable if the meeting takes place at home, and the gift must be packed. The packages are not opened in front of the gift giver and the gifts offered must not be rejected more than twice for the shake respect. Growing up, being welcoming was always a thing. Arabic has become the 5th-most commonly spoken language in the world. Living in America, I couldn’t fully speak Arabic because English was my first language. Yet, I still celebrate it everyday. When Arabs greet you with the expression “بيتي بايتك” (bayti baytek), they’re saying, “my home is your home”. It’s almost the same if in America you say, “Make yourself at home,” so just make yourself comfortable and don’t go roaming around the house as if it were literally your own. You should stand whenever someone enters the room, especially the elderly, women, or someone higher ranking than you as a form of respect.
Ghee, all these traditional rules are making me hungry. Have you ever had some Arab Food? The menu will include a diverse variety of foods ranging from beef, chicken, lamb or fish. Did you notice I didn’t say pork as pork is forbidden Islam. For an appetizer, you might get olives, nuts and raisins. Bread is also vital to this culture and refusing to break bread is often considered an insult. When invited to eat a meal with Arabs, you will find differences in table etiquette. For instance, if they offer you a snack, decline the first time, then accept. Never, ever refuse a drink. Use your right hand when eating and drinking, and don’t stay too long after you’ve finished the meal to avoid wearing out your welcome.
Now, how should you dress when an Arab family welcomes you in their home? Casual dress such as shorts or jeans and a t-shirt are unacceptable and impolite for many social occasions. Shorts and sleeveless tops for women should only be worn at the beach. They are not acceptable for sightseeing in cities or religious sites. Such as there being a little difference between their clothes and the clothes worn by women in the West such as short sleeves, skirts and tight jeans. Dress accordingly.
Remember that Jay-Z track, “Big Pimpin’, go listen to ,”Khosara” by Abdel Halim Hafez. Heard some similarities? Or that one song that went viral on TikTok by Issam Alnaijer “Hadal Ahebek”. Even Future’s song “Wicked” samples “Kanet Rohi” by Ratan! You probably were jamming to these songs forgetting where it originated from. Now sit back and listen to “Tunak Tunak Tun” by Daler Mehndi and get this festival started!