The old days..
Many years back, there was a day in this year where all the kids were the most excited and of course the most competitive on how much sweets did they collect. Our trick and treat day? Well.. I don’t really know we have been celebrating this day ever since we were kids.. it’s the outcome that mattered to me the most…14th of Shaaban (the month prior to Ramadan) was that special day us…
By the end of the day yesterday I finally sat and sighed.. feeling the breeze cooling my exhausted face I remembered the old days… our old memories… and the movie rolls.. a sepia kind of shots.. you can hear the sound of the film rolling.... grr grr grr .. and you’d see many girls dressed in lovely traditionally embroidered clothes with their hair perfectly plaited .. hands and legs seemed to have been dipped in Vaseline instead of just applying it all over.. don’t they look just perfect… slippers on their tiny legs.. and those cute earnings dangling from their cute lil ears.. running around with a sac behind their back .. sewn by their mothers .. proudly of course .. and competitively to some extent with other mothers :p 
We used to go to many houses.. and some of us would sing the traditional song.. 36oona 7ag il laileh.... but I was too shy lol .. not anymore :p It felt like u are in Charlie’s Chocolate factory … the competition was to fill your sacs with as much sweets and nuts as possible.. I used to keep the almonds that were coated with sugar aside and trade them with something else from either my sister or my elder brother... I preferred the old nutella look alike or those sour sweets that made your ears tingle…the chewing gum was very swallow able though but I used to love it.. ! We guaranteed sweets that would last for many many coming days.. few weeks if u were a good girl.. ! ;)
Is it the same now? Well… to a certain limit… modernization is there of course.. some would give a way chocolates from Spinneys or Patchi (poshy) and others like mom would still stick to the old fashioned sweets!
Its such a pity that manny parents no longer take their kids to other houses for “el laileh” … I was so happy when I saw three lil girls … I don’t know them but they have been coming for many years now.. they grew elder but their father drops them off every year …the most adorable girls…
Ten years from now would the kids know about this day… or would it be an ancient story that was once told by their grandparents once upon a time?
4 comments:
you know i never went to people's houses asking for sweets? our parents would never let us go.. claiming it was too dangerous and etc.
i remember dreaming about them one day letting us go around the neighbourhood to collect sweets, it seemed like such an exciting concept back then.. it still does :p expect me one year to knock on ur door asking for sweets lol
i love ur pic's mashallah, very nice choice..
p.s
it's great to have u back ;) i've missed u!
let's wait till we see the virtual version of 7aq ellailah lol..
good to see you back .. where is my portion of the candy? :p
What a lovely, lovely post! I forgot what this event was called. I remember, in AUD, the 5aleeji Club had organized this day when a lot of kid came dressed up in traditional clothes and offered us candies and nuts...lol! Talk about a loss-making 7ag el lailah (or however you pronounce it) :P
I am not surprised at the Patchi thing. People try to show the 'status' in every small thing these days. I agree with SZ; I don't think I will be surprised if there's a virtual version of this night. Sigh...we are losing ourselves.
I love the shots!
Seraaph: shall i expect you next year? tra i love kids knocking doors in Eid.. both eids.. and plus any other occasion would be fine too *hint hint*
inti ta3ali w i'll prepare the sweets.
thanks .. i missni too
DG: thanks a lot first of all for commenting and welcome to my blog .. would've sent you sweets too .. will find the virtual version ! : )
We robbed the future generation.. i loved the way you accused us of robbing them.. which is true to a certain limit..
but if we sticked to our old memories.. and cleaned the dust away every now and then .. i think we can spare the new generation a good experience.. !
sorry for making you nostlgic ;)
S.Z. : well if there is someone i miss reading his updates its you Sir :p
Virtual version.. 3adi i received an email ybarkoon gig which could be a sample of the virtual version :p
I didnt keep any piece for you.. ymkn the orange chewing gum the box that has three orange / purple chewing gums ! bask 7abeh we7deh :p
ya5i update.. please.
MD: you know .. i wouldn't mind getting patchi kind of chocolates.. but not patchi.. Godiva would be fine.. chocolate factory.. or just a Burger King Cookie lol !
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