Society and Culture of Palestine

Palestinian Society and Culture closely resembles the neighboring countries of Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The Arabian culture also has a marked influence on the Palestine Society and Culture.

The major aspects of the Palestine Society and Culture include the customs, religion, languages, literature, art, costumes and music of the land and its inhabitants. The culture of Palestine is still alive in the countries of Israel and Diaspora, although they are separate from the territory of Palestine.

Cuisine

The favorite food of Palestine Society and Culture include the bread, pasta, cheese, rice, sauces, soups and desserts. Herbs and spices are also popular with the Culture and Society of Palestine. Along with the mouth watering dishes, beverages, including liquor, wine, coffee, tea and other such drinks are increasingly becoming an essential part of the Palestine cuisine.

Languages Spoken in Palestine

The languages that are mostly spoken in the country are those of the Arabic along with some Hebrew speaking people. The Armenian language is also used in Palestine Culture and Society, along with other languages like Samaritan Aramaic. There are also people belonging to some Samaritan Hebrew linguistic minorities’ community in the society of Palestine.

Religions

The major religions practiced by the culture and society of Palestine are those of Islam with a major section of the Sunni community, Druzism, Christianity, Samaritanism and Judaism.

Religions followed in Palestine mainly include a large section of Sunni Muslims and a considerable section of the Christians and Jews. The Jewish community in Palestine accounts for 0.6% of the total population in the Gaza strip. There is also Jewish community in the West Bank area. About 17% of the population in West Bank is Jew.

There are about 0.7% of Christians in Palestine in the Gaza strip while the percentage of Christian community in the West Bank is 8%. People from various religion of Palestine are an integral part of the land of Palestine. The Sunni Muslims accounts for 86% of the Palestinian population. There are about a meager 2% of Shi’is Muslims in Palestine. Thus it holds that the Islam community accounts for 88% of the population in Palestine.

The Christian community also includes Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Protestants and Armenian Orthodox. There are about 1.2% of Greek Orthodox, 0.6% of Roman Catholics, 0.6% of Protestants and 0.03% of Armenian Orthodox in Palestine.

Besides the above, there are people from other religious communities in Palestine. These include the Bahai and the Samaritans. There are about 0.1% of Bahai in Palestine. The Samaritans also account for 0.1% of the population in Palestine.

Palestinian Culture and Customs

Palestine customs and conventions are closely related to those of its neighboring countries of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the Arabian world. The literature, art, religions, costumes, cuisines and music are all manifestations of the Palestine customs. The Palestinian customs and values are in fact also followed in the surrounding countries of like Israel and Diaspora, which are completely separate territories.

The Palestine customs are rooted in the very soil of the land and are hence inseparable from the lives of the people belonging to Palestine. The customs of Palestine not only get reflected on the society of the land and the people but also in the famous works of art and literature of the country. Most of the movies in Palestine are made with the help of the funds coming from Europe and Israel. Although the Palestine cinema is not so much advanced as compared to the Arabian cinema, yet it is definitely a true-to-life depiction of the Palestine customs and values.

One of the famous books written on the Palestine customs providing a whole range of insight on this issue is the one entitle, the “Culture and Customs Of The Palestinians”, which is written by Samih K. Farsoun.

Palestinian Festivals

Palestinian festivals bring a whole lot of joy and happiness to the people of Palestine. There are a number of festivals in Palestine. They are celebrated with extreme pomp and grandeur. Some of the Palestinian festivals are:

• Palestine Mozart Festival: This festival is carried out to pay reverence to the musical maestro Mozart. A large number of musicians from all over the world gather at Palestine during this festival. Workshops and seminars on music are also organized to understand music in depth. This takes place in the cities of Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus. Music instrumentalists come over from Europe to be a part of this festival.
• Palestinian International Poetry Festival: This is an annual festival that takes place in the city of Jerusalem. It continues for 4 days and is sponsored by Mishkenot Sha’ananim which is a non-profit, non-governmental organization. Seminars and workshops on poetries are held. The first of this festival took place in 1990.
• Ramallah Festival for Contemporary Dance: this dance festival is one of the major festivals at Palestine. Dancing troupes from different corners of the world actively participate in it to uphold their respective cultures.