Haj Decorations

Here in Beirut we recently had several days of vacation for Adha, a holiday that I know nothing about. I do know that it coincides with Haj, the pilgrimage to mecca that every able-bodied muslim is expected to make at least once in their life. Anyway, all over town, people have returned and decorated to celebrate the completion of this significant religious journey.

There's a pretty big variety in the decorations around town. Multi-colored streamers are common, so are banners that picture Mecca and include text about the pilgrimage. You'll also see lots of palm fronds adorning doorways where recently-returned pilgrims live. These decorations are my favorite.

They feature miniature Saudi flags (Mecca is in Saudi Arabia) and mini Mecca cubes folded out of paper.