SAUDI schools have planned numerous activities to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the country, including plays, film screenings, historical lectures and photo exhibitions. But for the most part the festivities will be more low-key because this year’s national holiday coincides with Ramadan 1428.
The Education Ministry has instructed all public educational institutions to devote at least half of a day before the national holiday to educating Saudis on their history and heritage.
Students have been instructed to spend 30 minutes during this time creating cards with messages to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah about the role he or she would like to play for the benefits of the country in the future.
This year’s events will not include the usual Ardah (the Saudi dance that involves male dancers waving swords) dance as it is considered inappropriate during Ramadan. Daytime fasting will also be taken into consideration and will take precedence over festivities that would distract from or impede fasting and reflection.
Nevertheless, students will get an opportunity to forget their daytime hunger with National Day activities.
“Saudi flags will be distributed among students to be raised while singing the national anthem in the morning queue,” said Abdulkarim Algunaim, director of Alghadd Schools Riyadh.
Hind Aldahmash, a student activities supervisor at King Saud University, said the Kingdom’s oldest university has a series of special events planned.
“Each college has arranged its own program for the university’s 18,000 students,” she said. “The College of Arts, for instance, is hosting a poetry competition.”
The Al-Yamamah College is celebrating National Day in very simple manner, said Samyah Betar, an activities supervisor at the girl’s school, in honor of Ramadan.
“The College will restrict the activities to displaying pictures of Saudi kings and presenting documentary films that deals with the history and the progress of the country.”
Some teacher expressed the hope that National Day — which was turned into an official holiday in 2005 — would help unify Saudis and combat traditional tribal rivalries and differences and gel national solidarity. Mohammed Alkateeb, the head of King Faisal School, said the institution has held annual National Day festivities for years. “I think it’s good (that the day is now an official holiday) because it should instill some pride in the Saudi people about their country, rather than it being just something for their ‘passport identity’,” he said. “Perhaps this could eventually help lead to a better country overall.”
While he says tribal affiliations are just as much part of the history and tradition of the country, the state should play a role (as does any state) in engendering national pride and respect for the cultures and traditions shared by all Saudis regardless of tribe.
“Not that one must forego his or her tribal identity all together, but it has sometimes had a harmful effect on this society. Encouraging children to associate or not associate with children simply because of family names, or job discrimination based on tribal affiliations. If students start to view others in their society as equal parts of his society — celebrating the same day and belonging to the same nationality — then such negative social behaviors can be eradicated.”
