"Saudi Heritage" is a culture of a people passed down through generations

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia celebrates on the 23rd of September of each year the National Day for the Unification of the Kingdom. The Gulf Cooperation Council countries rejoice on this day, most notably the United Arab Emirates, which is decorated in green to celebrate this occasion and in solidarity with the brotherly Saudi people. The UAE shares the Kingdom's joy by holding celebrations that reflect the popular legacies of both countries. In conjunction with this occasion, we have chosen for you today one of the most attractive topics that reflect the Saudi heritage and the most prominent popular legacies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In this article, you will learn about the following:

What is meant by folklore?

• Folklore in Saudi Arabia

• Folklore and songs

• popular proverbs

• Clothes and toiletries

• Traditional Foods

• Arabic coffee

What is meant by folklore?

Heritage is defined as everything that the grandparents left for their children, in other words what the previous generations inherited for the current generations of customs, traditions, etiquette, values ​​and popular, cultural and material knowledge. Folklore includes stories, legends, poems, games, songs, proverbs, festivities, holidays, dance, arts and crafts. All of these elements are the cultural product of the nation, which can be called "the nation's heritage."

Folklore in Saudi Arabia

Saudi folklore has a special taste in which originality is mixed with modernity, and it smells of the past and the charm of history. Folk heritage in Saudi Arabia is one of the pillars of national identity, as it is the vessel from which it derives its faith, traditions, authentic values, language and ideas.

Folklore and songs

In ancient times, tribes in the Arabian Peninsula used various methods to frighten enemies and spread terror in their hearts, the most prominent of which was the use of singing in different tones, accompanied by specific dances, and this was inherited from generations, until today it has become a folklore and folk art expressive of every region.

“Unity and Community” is the most prominent feature of popular folklore in Saudi Arabia, and it is considered a pride for the Saudi people, which they inherit from generation to generation. It is interspersed with enthusiastic songs, games and dances that express customs and traditions.

Folk arts differ in each region of the Kingdom from the other, as each region is characterized by the following:

Al-Ardah Najdiyah in Riyadh and Al-Qassim

It was called by this name in relation to the parade that the knights perform their horses, and perform them before entering battles and in victories and holidays. The dance is performed in rows, in which the knights wield their swords, waving them right and left, in harmony, and it is accompanied by the beating of drums, and in the middle of them is the flag bearer, chanting enthusiastic poetic verses.

Al Majour in Makkah and Madinah

The dance troupe is divided into two opposite rows, both of whom wear a uniform known as "al-Huwaisi", a wide white dress wrapped in a belt containing live ammunition, and they hold drums and perform nasheeds in their hands. In the middle of the two rows is the drum holder who hits it while sitting between them and usually does not participate in singing.

Al-Ardah, Al-Ma’sha and Al-Azzawi sword in Asir, Najran and Jazan

It is a war dance performed on the coasts of the Kingdom from Medina to Qunfudhah, and it plays with swords and guns.

Al-Daha in Al-Jawf and the Northern Borders

It is also called the breath of the knights. One of the popular folk dances among the tribes of northern Saudi Arabia, which they perform in two rows or one row, and it is a dance performed on holidays, and also after victories in the invasions.

Knock love, lewdness, harvest, prey in the eastern region

These dances are named after the picturesque environment of the eastern region, which is characterized by its charming coastal and agricultural scenery. (Knock love, lyowa, harvest, and prey) are various colors of folklore inspired by the magic of the waves of the Arabian Gulf Sea, palm fronds and the harvest seasons for which the city of Al-Ahsa is famous. The drums, drums and paws are used in these folk colors under successive rhythms.

popular proverbs

Since the beginning of human existence, popular proverbs have been used, and still are, to express the situations that pass us in daily life, and popular proverbs in Saudi Arabia are the means that express the culture of Saudi society, and they are used by different social classes, and differ in different Saudi regions. Here are some examples of popular proverbs in Saudi Arabia and their meanings:

Lightning in your home, before you accuse your neighbor

This popular proverb advises a person to search inside himself first to discover who is behind the real reason for performing a certain act, before accusing others of being the reason.

In the name of God be upon the one who took care of you and enter the genie into your shepherds

This proverb is said to make fun of people who are afraid of things that may not cause fear at all.

seed is preserved

It indicates that the person who did a good deed and did not get anything in return, God will reward him with a double reward.

Get his skin back

It is said in the case of a person who rested after being tired, or if a person was worried about a particular thing and quickly reassured about this matter.

His face is washed with broth

The broth is (blood) and the one on the face of the broth is thickened with fat, meaning that it is smeared with dirt so that it is not affected by anything. And this proverb was given to the one who is not ashamed or ashamed of anything because he is stained with defects until some of them piled on top of the other, so there is no place left for the new ones.

Clothes and toiletries

Folk dress is the one that reflects the customs, traditions and heritage of the community, and adornment tools come to complement the look. In Saudi society, dress is a reflection of the social and living life of individuals, according to their clothes and adornment. The forms of clothing and cosmetics vary from one region to another in the Kingdom as follows:

The people of Riyadh are characterized by simplicity, and the thobe is considered the main dress for men and is characterized by its white color that goes in line with the summer atmosphere, in addition to the cap and the headband. On occasions, the man wears what is known as the mashallah or the bisht, which is the cloak. As for women, the most famous of their clothes is the abaya, and the face covering.

Eastern region: In the summer, men wear a loose dress that covers the body and reaches the bottom of the leg. A group of threads hang at the neck of the dress, which is pulled by a thread at the bottom and is called (Karkoucha). As for the ghutra, it is white or striped and has a triangular shape, and the headband is added to it to stabilize it. In the winter, they wear the "fur", which is a wide and long robe woven from sheep skins and their fur, and it is adorned with some ornaments and shapes to be worn over clothes in winter, especially in the desert. With regard to women’s clothing, it is characterized by length and breadth, and comes in the form of one piece embroidered with silk and golden threads, such as the hashemite dress and the shield. As for the head covering, it is a black fabric decorated with ornaments and embroidered with buttons, and it is embroidered from its front end, and it has an opening for the face and the rest of it falls on the shoulders, back and shoulders.​

Najran region: The popular clothing for men in the Najran region is known as the muffler, the groin, the shoe, the jambiya, the belt, the pilot, and the hazelnut. As for the woman, she has her own beautiful and special clothes and ornaments, such as: the sleeved, the rag, the squid, the bell, the bell, the earlobe, the length, the ring, the guard, and the veil.​

Northern Borders: Men in the northern border areas wear what suits the summer and winter weather in the region, where the Morden dress is characterized by its long and wide sleeves at the hands, and is worn in celebrations and performances, in addition to the Arab dress decorated with buttons at the chest, and the shemagh and the ghutra to avoid the summer heat and the cold winter. As for the women, their dress is similar to the traditional Palestinian dress of Jerusalem, where they wear what is known as the “Maqta’” decorated with local embroidery on the chest and sleeves, while the “theatre” is a silk dress with stripes of reeds from the top of the dress to the bottom, and the women put on the veil, which is the head covering in addition to To the sheyla, which is the muffler, and it is usually black.​

As for the adornment tools for women in Saudi Arabia, they vary between henna and ornaments in its various forms, including gold or silver products or handicrafts.

Each region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is famous for its special dishes that reflect its customs and traditions, according to popular traditions that distinguish it from others. The Saudis' tables differ according to the climate, the nature of life and the quality of plants in each region, which made the diversity of dishes in the Saudi society a distinctive character.

Kabsa is one of the most famous Saudi dishes and competes with many delicious dishes in different regions, as each region in the Kingdom is famous for a variety of dishes, most notably:

Al-Ma’araq dish from Medina: It is meat cut into small pieces and cooked in a copper pot mixed with spices, cumin, black pepper and cinnamon.

The (Khemeer) dish from Asir: It is made from wheat, barley or sorghum, which is ground and kneaded, then fermented for some time, and served with vegetable edam.

Hail, the country of authenticity and ancient hospitality, is famous for its (Al-Maqshush) dish: small loaves of somewhat hard wheat dough, grilled on charcoal or in ovens, with ghee, honey or molasses and sugar added to it.

Al-Qassim and Qasr Al-Jamr: A dish (Qassim Al-Jamr) is one of the most famous dishes in the Al-Qassim region in Saudi Arabia. It is a very large disk of wheat dough. The sandy ground is well protected for it, then it is buried in the dirt until it ripens on top, then it is turned over and buried again until it It is cooked from the bottom, and then, it is cleaned and cut into small parts, then ghee and sugar are added to it and rubbed until it mixes well with each other.

Masoub of Makkah Al-Mukarramah: (Al-Masoub) is one of the dishes that Makkah Al-Mukarramah is famous for, which has recently spread widely. It is small tablets of pure wheat, baked and then placed in a wooden bowl, and a quantity of honey, ghee and bananas is added to it.

(Al-Raqash) from Najran: It is considered one of the famous dishes on many occasions, and it is a thin bread made of wheat that is cut after baking, and put on top of each other in a pot, and the pot is often a stone pot, then broth is poured over it and served.

Arabic coffee

Who does not love the flavor and aroma of authentic Arabic coffee? And Arabic coffee in Saudi Arabia has a special taste with an authentic character. Saudi coffee has customs and traditions in the ways of preparation and presentation, as follows:

Coffee is poured with the left hand, and the cup is served with the right.

(Pour modesty) It means in Saudi circles that the cup should not be filled with more than half of it, and that means serving coffee in a third of the cup.

One of the special signs that Saudis know when drinking coffee is shaking the coffee cup, which is a signal from the guest that he is satisfied with drinking coffee, and if the guest does not shake the cup, the host will continue to pour coffee for him.

The person in charge of pouring the coffee should continue to stand while holding the coffee pot to continue pouring it for them until the guests are finished.

Every time a guest drinks a new cup of coffee, the cup has a special name and has a special meaning, as follows:

The first cup is called (the haif) and the host drinks it to prove to the guest that the coffee does not contain anything harmful.

As for the second cup, it is called (the guest cup), and it is a title for honor and the goat.

(The kef cup) is what is called the third cup and the guest drinks it to enjoy the taste of coffee.

The fourth cup is called (the cup of the sword), and it symbolizes that the guest will stand with his host in case he is subjected to any harm or assault.​

The Saudi heritage has features that distinguish it from others, with its special character and unique spontaneity that will definitely attract you to it. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the land of the Two Holy Mosques, with its ancient history and authentic heritage that is passed on to children from generation to generation, with its customs, traditions, songs, folk proverbs, diverse foods, distinctive traditional dress and delicious coffee, remains a luminous beacon spreading a ray of light everywhere.