Saturday, January 21, 2017

Jeddah - Mall Window Displays


These Jeddah mall shop window displays were decorated in a winter holiday theme, something that is rare for this country.


There are only 2 recognized holidays in Saudi Arabia, and both are related to Islam. 


One holiday is celebrated after Hajj, the annual religious pilgrimage to Mecca, and the other follows Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast during the daytime.


4 comments:

William Kendall said...

A very odd pairing, your part of the world and the idea of winter.

Jerry Mc Kenna said...

Not crazy about the headless manikans.

Anonymous said...

Given that Christmas is a Christian holiday, is it celebrated outside the western compounds? I remember you commended that Valentine's Day wasn't allowed, officially.

Susie of Arabia said...

Hi William - It does get cold in parts of Saudi Arabia and can even snow occasionally. But one generally thinks of the heat and the desert when the subject is Saudi Arabia.

Hi Jerry - I don't care for the headless mannequins either. The ones of children really irk me the most.

Hi Anonymous - Christmas can be celebrated by Christians in the privacy of their own homes here, and many of them do live in compounds. Regarding Valentine's Day, in the past there have been years when the religious police raided florists and gift shops and there were articles in the newspapers warning that it was an illegal holiday. This year I saw Valentine's Day gifts and decor on display in a few places, but no big deal was made over it. There has been a push to relax the religious police hovering over the population regarding issues like these holidays, and it is definitely evident that these changes have been implemented.