The Art of Hospitality
Traditionally inspired modern ‘Mabkhara’ incense burner. Courtesy of The Art of Heritage.
Our identity is shaped by the views, behaviors, standards, and values each of us subconsciously absorbs from our environment and upbringing. Our daily lives are impacted by our cultural identity which influence’s the way we react to each event, so the better our understanding of our own history, the better our reactions will be, leading to improved wellbeing and personal development.
Building an awareness of our identity can help us in gaining a better understanding of the unique contributions we have to offer, both personally and professionally, while also shedding light on our blind spots.
We have a special set of cultural gifts that we have been given, and it is up to us to figure out how to use them to improve the world. It requires a purposeful strategy to reveal these gifts if we can see the world through an intersectional perspective.
One of our most distinctive cultural traits is hospitality. The way we greet visitors, even those who are merely passing by; offering them coffee and dates is how we demonstrate our generosity and warmness.
Traditional ‘Mabkhara’ incense burner. Courtesy of The Art of Heritage.
We have a beautiful couplet, which takes the form of a host’s welcome to his guest, and illustrates better than any words:
“Oh guest of ours, though you have come, though you have visited us, and though you have honored our dwellings; we verily are the real guests, and you are the lord of this house.”
Oud, a type of incense that is traditionally burnt.
Even the method of preparing coffee was always a ceremony motivated by love and tradition, regardless of how wealthy or poor the host was. The host's manner of insisting that the guest drink the coffee and refill his cup, as well as the style in which the coffee is offered, is all about generosity and respect.
As we celebrate 2022 as our year of coffee, what we truly are celebrating is our hospitality identity.
Another aromatic aspect of hospitality is that of incense. In all our homes, incense is frequently burned. One example of a hospitality gesture is the passing of an incense burner by the host or a family member to their guests.
In the past, these burners were made of engraved wood or clay, and decorated with mirrors. Today, however, they come in more contemporary forms and are made of various materials.
The steam or vapor that is released from oud wood, also known as bukhoor, is what gives the air, clothing, and even hair its pleasing scent which is thought to uplift and soothe the spirit.
Let us lift a cup of coffee and take in a waft of bukhoor in celebration of our greatest cultural identity: hospitality.
Somaya Badr is Ithraeyat’s honored regular columnist, and the CEO of the Art of Heritage.
The tools and traditions of Arabic, and especially, Saudi coffee.
