Traditional Day, Bethlehem University

Wow.  We are so impressed.

The You Tube video at the top by RoyaTV captures Bethlehem University's Traditional /  "Be Proud With Your Palestinian Dress" Day.  Even if you don't speak Arabic it's well worth watching to see the lovely traditional garments being worn.

Photo: Yahya Hbaibb
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Traditional Day took place on April 16 2013. Prior to the day, the event was promoted on Facebook by students Hind Abu-Shkhadim and Shoroq M. Thawabta. We hope they and photographers Ghassan Shosha and Yahya Hbaibb won't mind us sharing some of the photos they've all shared on Facebook.

Photo: Gassan Shosha
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Traditional Day is a wonderful idea. It encouraged students to be proud of their folklore and heritage, as well as seeing it as a symbol of resistance: "you can wear anything related to Palestinian traditional textiles, "tatreez" like clothes, handbags, scarves… etc.".  As you can see from the photos it worked very well.  It's also lovely to see people walking around the university's campus in traditional dress, in the You Tube video.

Photo: Gassan Shosha
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We often get contacted by people wanting to put on a Palestinian fashion parade.  We can now direct them to the video above and say:

"look, these students did this perfectly. No-one is wearing anything from before 1948, there's not a single outfit styled in historical Bethlehem costume. They don't need it. They've showing what Palestinian costume is now.  It's a riotous mix of red and black embroidery on "shawal" and "6 Branch" style dresses and triangular shawls (first designed in Palestinian refugee embroidery projects to go with the "shawal"), with flashes of bright colour from Muslim headdresses. Older married women are even wearing the traditional white cotton scarf - see May Jaber, Assistant to the Dean of Students? And everything is worn with love and pride and passion.""

Later after the fashion parade May Jaber (who has some nice dresses - also here) wore the cotton headscarf like a shawl. Also check out Hind Abu-Shkhadim's unusual thob - a shawal style qabbeh and dense embroidery in the skirt sections similar to Sinai bedu styles, with an unusual mix of blue, red and white cross stitch.

Photo: Gassan Shosha
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While we can see some traditional patterns like the saru, other patterns like the blue ones look like new interpretions. We also like her sneakers :)

Photo: ?
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Anyway, enjoy the photos. There are a few more here.

Photo: Gassan Shosha
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A modern blue shawal and on the right, a 6 branch with a shawal style V shaped qabbeh.

Another interesting very heavily decorated thob in unusual colours.

Lovely thob inspired by the pre1948 heremezy technique.

On the left, an embroidered waistcoat, in the middle a shawal style tunic , on the right an embroidered triangular scarf worn as a shawl.

Photo: Gassan Shosha
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On the right - Black top worn with embroidered belt.

How's this for stylish - an embroidered triangular shawl worn as a headscarf over jeans and boots (more here)

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