Sept al-Noor

The Saturday before last was a special Christian holiday in Ramallah - Sept al-Noor. It is the day before Easter (going by the Orthodox calendar) and every year there is a big celebration in the city center that consists of all the boyscout marching bands from the villages surrounding Ramallah parading down the main street near Al-Manara Square. The parade is celebrating the arrival of the "holy fire" from Jerusalem. Obtaining the 'fire' to bring to Ramallah used to be fairly easy as the Church of the Holy Supulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem is just a short 15 miles away; however with the checkpoints that now exist, the trip can take an unpredictable amount of time - the upside being that it builds the anticipation of the crowd waiting in Ramallah.

Around 3PM I started to hear the first sounds of the marching bands in the distance. It was difficult to figure out how far away they were, but after about 20 minutes I could see them heading west on Rukab Street. For the next hour or so, about a dozen boyscout troops passed by in their various and well-planned uniforms playing their drums, horn instruments, and bagpipes! I especially liked how almost every group implemented the kheffiyeh, being a national symbol of Palestine, into their uniforms. It goes to show what pride they take in their heritage.

When the holy fire arrived, everyone gathered round to light their own lantern or candle or light and then they took off to their various churches all around Ramallah to continue in their own activities. There was a big commotion as the mayor of Ramallah, who is a devout Christian herself, arrived carrying her light. Soon afterwards there was a huge crowd of people dancing, singing, and clapping about how Christ had risen and how Jesus was the savior. Everyone in Ramallah and beyond came to see this event and both Muslims and Christians alike were enjoying themselves. It is hard to describe the atmosphere that day other than saying it was one of elation and celebration. To be in a city of that is traditionally Christian, but is currently of Muslim majority, celebrating in such a manner was unreal.