JEDDAH – Exciting festivities extended over the three days of Eid will continue until today in 12 different locations in Jeddah, but the festivities in the old Balad area have attracted the largest audience and has brought back a sense of nostalgia of the older, warmer, and simpler days in Jeddah. Jeddah Mayoralty launched a number of entertaining events to greet visitors and locals to welcome the joyous Eid days. The Eid festival included folklore Jeddawi songs and dance, plays that depicted Hejazi culture and traditions, art showcases, poetry recitals, and fireworks. The sounds of an Arabic version of the flute floated above the Balad area from the early morning of the first day of Eid to invite everyone to celebrate this happy occasion. The men who participated in the musical show and folkloric Saudi dance described what Jeddah was like 300 years ago. The hometown poets, oldest residents, and the most prominent families of the Balad area came out to take part in the celebration. The local women prepared and served the famous Hejazi Eid desserts, such as Debyaza and Ladu.
“It just would not be Eid without debyaza,” remarked one elderly Jeddawi woman, Umm Malik who perfects this dessert. Debyaza has been made for years every Eid. It is made by toasting unsalted and peeled almonds, pine nuts, and cashews in some butter or to obtain the original taste, ghee. Apricot paste is then simmered over low heat with some water and sugar until thick, then assorted nuts and dried apricot pieces are all added to the apricot stew. Debyaza is then poured into individual bowls filled and chilled for several hours to make a sweet and refreshing Eid treat loaded with nutrients and essential minerals from the nuts. One of the oldest residents of the Jeddah Balad region, Musa'id Sadeq Ba-jouh, said with tears in his eyes: “These are the tears of happiness for the Eid celebrations, but also tears of sadness because most residents of the historical Balad region have deserted their centuries-old homes and moved to other areas of Jeddah. I can clearly remember the days when we all used to gather in the streets outside from morning until dusk. We distributed sweets and money to the children of the neighborhood who sang the Eid and Ramadan farewell songs that they had memorized by heart. It was a communion of fathers and son, mothers and daughters, neighbors and relatives that we rarely see these days, and a tradition that has been lost because the residents abandoned their old neighborhoods.” The nature of the festivities organized by the Jeddah municipality in recent years centered on entertainment for children, general recreation, and fireworks but this year the festivities served an added purpose of educating today's generations about the city's colorful past.
