NIZWA — With a unique heritage that reflects the authenticity of its people, the wilayat of Nizwa continues with its Eid Al Adha celebrations.

Dressed in their finest clothing in the early morning of Eid, everyone heads to the family gathering spots to congratulate and greet each other. Since early morning in Nizwa, people eat Eid special cuisine, which includes arsia, a dish of lamb meat cooked with rice; harees, which is made from wheat, mixed with meat, coffee and halwa.

In order to bring smiles on the faces of kids, elders in the wilayat make sure that they get new baisas and rials (Eidiya) to be distributed among the children. Many bring new money for their children, nephews and nieces, grandchildren and even neighbours’ kids.

Eidiya, handing out money to children during Eid festivities, is one of the long-lasting traditions in the Sultanate, which is the basis of joy and happiness for children on the occasion of Eid.

Delicacies

After slaughtering animals in celebration of Eid, meat is prepared for all kinds of cuisines like shuwa, which is made by baking marinated meat in an underground pit for one or two days and mashakik (barbeque).

About the wilayat’s first celebrations on Eid, Misabah bin Jame’e Al Rashdi said: “Al Makhraj comes as the first manifestation of people’s joy during Eid. Al Makhraj is being held in an open space, where people gather after Eid prayers and young boys sell candies and toys as a way to bring joy and happiness to the hearts of children.”

Al Rashdi believes that today’s Makhraj is different from the past. “In the past, men, women and children used to rush to Al Makhraj. But today, it is limited to children and sometimes few men and women accompany their kids.”

There are two spots in Nizwa used for this phenomenon. The first is located in Nizwa Souq, while the other is in Al Ruwaishia area, which attracts people from the neighbouring areas. “Family visits start immediately after the Eid prayers, which reflect the character of social cohesion and the joy of this precious occasion,” Al Rashdi added.

Ahmed bin Mohamed Al Nabhani said: “People are accustomed to the manifestations of the feast, which they inherited from their ancestors. These celebrations bring together members of the Muslim community.”

Dance of swords

About the Razha dance, which is performed mostly during festivities, Mohamed bin Salim Al Kindi said: “The Razha is a traditional dance is an integral part of Eid celebrations in Nizwa. In fact, this dance reflects the joy of youth and the elderly on the occasion of Eid.” The name Razha indicates the dance of swords, with the man collapsing under the weight of the sword. He has to carry this weight during his high jumps in the air and land standing firmly on his feet, without trembling or falling. The tradition of throwing the sword in the air and catching it again as it comes down still exists. The weight of the sword and its sharpness is very important.

The forms of the Razha differ in the movements of the participants, the type and speed of the rhythm governing the movements, the poetic metre which form the singing of its verses, and the subject which the poet extemporises on. The different kinds of Razha have names, each one indicating one of its attributes. Either the poetry, or the movement, or its connection to a certain place.