With the signing of the Truce Agreement at the beginning of last month and the absence of bombing on Idlib, Eid looks different this year in Idlib. Idlib's people have been able to prepare for the Eid holiday with greater comfort in stark contrast to previous Eid al-Fitr holidays where residents remained fearful of bombing and shelling targeting markets and other locations filled with people.
Active Markets
Idlib province’s markets witnessed increased activity in recent days as residents came out to buy things for the Eid holiday such as sweets, fruit and other necessities for hosting, and new clothes for themselves and their children. Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, Maher al-Hafian from Maarrat al-Nu’man said, “In the past years, securing a place to live and ensuring their livelihood were displaced people’s first objectives in light of their repeated displacements and not being able to stay in one place. They did not buy many clothes for their children and every Eid residents feared that a massacre would happen and turn their Eid into a tragedy.”
“This year and with the halting of the bombardment I will have the opportunity to shop enough to choose the best pieces, and the prices are a bit more acceptable in comparison with the previous years,” said Mahasen al-Lababidi, a local resident.
Some of the goods in Idlib’s markets come from the regime areas, and others come from Turkey. There are also used European goods and some locally produced goods, but residents prefer Turkish and locally produced merchandise.
Turkish goods are considered more competitively priced when compared with the price of goods from the regime areas. The price of fabric trousers is 4,500 Syrian Pounds (SP) while the same item would cost 7,000 from the regime areas. A dress for a girl of 7 would cost around 8,000 SP while the same item would cost around 10,000 SP coming from the regime areas. A t-shirt for a boy of 10 would cost 4000 SP while the same piece would cost 5,500 SP from the regime areas.
Eid Sweets
Sweets are considered an essential part of the Eid rituals where women start preparing sweets a few days before Eid. Idlib is known for certain types of sweets, such as its oil based pastry, sweet and savory pastries. All the houses in the province make these sweets for Eid. Despite the years of war, Idlib’s people did not give up on these traditions, and they did not change the ingredients even with the changing economic conditions. The sweets remain the same in terms of taste and quality but with a large difference in price.
Despite the simplicity of the ingredients of the savory pastries and their availability all year around, Idlib’s people boast about the quality of their products. Abu Ismail al-Dhibbi, a bakery owner in Idlib city, said, “The secret of these pastries is the oil in the mixture, and the quality of olive oil used. The ingredients are very simple, white flour and quantity of spices that come often prepared, olive oil and a little salt.”
A kilogram of the pastries used to cost 50 SP, but today a kilogram costs 1000 SP, without including the price of olive oil since customers provide a quantity of olive oil and the bakery charges 200 SP for every 100 grams of pastry mix.
As for other Eid essential pastries such as Karabeej and Maamoul with dates, these items are present in few households this holiday. The price of Maamoul with dates has risen from 100-150 SP seven years ago to reach 1,600 SP this Eid. Karabeej, sweets usually stuffed with pistachios and walnuts, are now stuffed with Qashta (type of cream) due to the expense of pistachios and walnuts. A piece of karabeej stuffed with pistachios can cost up to 100 SP while one stuffed with walnuts costs 75 SP.
Eid Games Return
A few days before Eid, residents in Idlib city and its countryside began setting up swings, spin chairs, artificial horses and other fun games for children in the area’s squares or alleys. Idlib province does not have a stationary games and adventure park, but these games are set up every year especially for Eid and they are removed at the end of the holiday. Many associations and organizations also prepared recreational parties and gaming centers for children for this holiday.
“For the past seven years, my children have not been celebrating Eid and they have not known its joy,” said Mahmoud Qitaz of Maarrat al-Nu'man. “The people have experienced many dark years, and many families lost their children or others left the country fleeing the bombing, so there was no opportunity to have a festive atmosphere for the children, and we did not allow them to play for fear of sudden bombardment.”
Campaign Against Fireworks
Some children express their happiness at Eid by setting off fire fireworks which disturbs some people who are afraid and anxious about loud sounds due to the repeated bombardment they experienced in recent years.
In order to avoid this, the Free Police working in rural Idlib launched a campaign to raise awareness against using fireworks. The campaign aims to sensitize the population and children to the need to not use fireworks during Eid time as the fireworks can harm children and cause physical burns other than disturbing other people.
“The campaign includes distributing brochures to parents and children to introduce the campaign and raise awareness. The brochure explains about the dangers of fireworks, and the free police patrols will be on general alert during the period in the places children play, markets, road intersections, and mosques during the Eid prayers,” said Yusuf al-Alawan, the head of the free police station in Maarat al-Nu'man.
at the beginning of last month and the absence of bombing on Idlib, Eid looks different this year in Idlib. Idlib's people have been able to prepare for the Eid holiday with greater comfort in stark contrast to previous Eid al-Fitr holidays where residents remained fearful of bombing and shelling targeting markets and other locations filled with people.
Active Markets
Idlib province’s markets witnessed increased activity in recent days as residents came out to buy things for the Eid holiday such as sweets, fruit and other necessities for hosting, and new clothes for themselves and their children. Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, Maher al-Hafian from Maarrat al-Nu’man said, “In the past years, securing a place to live and ensuring their livelihood were displaced people’s first objectives in light of their repeated displacements and not being able to stay in one place. They did not buy many clothes for their children and every Eid residents feared that a massacre would happen and turn their Eid into a tragedy.”
“This year and with the halting of the bombardment I will have the opportunity to shop enough to choose the best pieces, and the prices are a bit more acceptable in comparison with the previous years,” said Mahasen al-Lababidi, a local resident.
Some of the goods in Idlib’s markets come from the regime areas, and others come from Turkey. There are also used European goods and some locally produced goods, but residents prefer Turkish and locally produced merchandise.
Turkish goods are considered more competitively priced when compared with the price of goods from the regime areas. The price of fabric trousers is 4,500 Syrian Pounds (SP) while the same item would cost 7,000 from the regime areas. A dress for a girl of 7 would cost around 8,000 SP while the same item would cost around 10,000 SP coming from the regime areas. A t-shirt for a boy of 10 would cost 4000 SP while the same piece would cost 5,500 SP from the regime areas.
Eid Sweets
Sweets are considered an essential part of the Eid rituals where women start preparing sweets a few days before Eid. Idlib is known for certain types of sweets, such as its oil based pastry, sweet and savory pastries. All the houses in the province make these sweets for Eid. Despite the years of war, Idlib’s people did not give up on these traditions, and they did not change the ingredients even with the changing economic conditions. The sweets remain the same in terms of taste and quality but with a large difference in price.
Despite the simplicity of the ingredients of the savory pastries and their availability all year around, Idlib’s people boast about the quality of their products. Abu Ismail al-Dhibbi, a bakery owner in Idlib city, said, “The secret of these pastries is the oil in the mixture, and the quality of olive oil used. The ingredients are very simple, white flour and quantity of spices that come often prepared, olive oil and a little salt.”
A kilogram of the pastries used to cost 50 SP, but today a kilogram costs 1000 SP, without including the price of olive oil since customers provide a quantity of olive oil and the bakery charges 200 SP for every 100 grams of pastry mix.
As for other Eid essential pastries such as Karabeej and Maamoul with dates, these items are present in few households this holiday. The price of Maamoul with dates has risen from 100-150 SP seven years ago to reach 1,600 SP this Eid. Karabeej, sweets usually stuffed with pistachios and walnuts, are now stuffed with Qashta (type of cream) due to the expense of pistachios and walnuts. A piece of karabeej stuffed with pistachios can cost up to 100 SP while one stuffed with walnuts costs 75 SP.
Eid Games Return
A few days before Eid, residents in Idlib city and its countryside began setting up swings, spin chairs, artificial horses and other fun games for children in the area’s squares or alleys. Idlib province does not have a stationary games and adventure park, but these games are set up every year especially for Eid and they are removed at the end of the holiday. Many associations and organizations also prepared recreational parties and gaming centers for children for this holiday.
“For the past seven years, my children have not been celebrating Eid and they have not known its joy,” said Mahmoud Qitaz of Maarrat al-Nu'man. “The people have experienced many dark years, and many families lost their children or others left the country fleeing the bombing, so there was no opportunity to have a festive atmosphere for the children, and we did not allow them to play for fear of sudden bombardment.”
Campaign Against Fireworks
Some children express their happiness at Eid by setting off fire fireworks which disturbs some people who are afraid and anxious about loud sounds due to the repeated bombardment they experienced in recent years.
In order to avoid this, the Free Police working in rural Idlib launched a campaign to raise awareness against using fireworks. The campaign aims to sensitize the population and children to the need to not use fireworks during Eid time as the fireworks can harm children and cause physical burns other than disturbing other people.
“The campaign includes distributing brochures to parents and children to introduce the campaign and raise awareness. The brochure explains about the dangers of fireworks, and the free police patrols will be on general alert during the period in the places children play, markets, road intersections, and mosques during the Eid prayers,” said Yusuf al-Alawan, the head of the free police station in Maarat al-Nu'man.