1 - 7 March 2001
Issue No.523
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 1 - 7 March 2001 Issue No.523 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
EGYPTIANS associate Eid Al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice, with two earthly reasons for celebration: first, it is a time to eat meat, which is not a staple in many diets; second, marriages are frequently celebrated during the feast. In Darb Al-Barabra, off Ataba Square, women are hard at work making bonbonnieres -- the porcelain boxes, stuffed with the sugar-covered almonds called milabbis and wrapped in tulle, that are distributed on almost every happy occasion, from engagement to marriage and subou', the ceremony marking the seventh day of a newborn's life.
The women in Darb Al-Barabra's workshops are especially busy at this time of year, with the peak season almost upon them. As they wrap the rough, stiff tulle tightly around the fragile boxes and snap the shiny ribbons into bows with a flourish, they are looking forward to a well-deserved rest -- or thinking of the day when they will order their own bonbonnieres: if not this year, then perhaps next?
(photo: Randa Shaath)
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