Growing up, I remember wondering about the burqa my grandmother and most of the women of her generation would constantly wear, it was made of a golden fabric that would be tied around their heads revealing their eyes and masking their noses and cheeks. It was a significant part of our culture that all women embraced.
Burqa’s were made in different sizes for different age groups. The younger the woman was, the slimmer the burqa, the older she was; the thicker it was made. It was a symbol of womanhood and beauty. When a woman would change her status from single to married, she would wear a burqa, hence it was also a means of letting her status be known to society.
Some would say that since marriage was very important to women, they used it as a way of flaunting their success. Some would say they believed it to be beautifying, because it revealed the beauty of a woman’s eyes and smile while masking possible flaws.
The death of a tradition is caused by a new generation taking a different route, changing a belief or a custom, and replacing it with a new one. Nowadays, we’d find it strange to see a young woman in a burqa. The sad thing about that is the fact that the sole thing that’s keeping the ‘burqa’ alive is women of the generation before the last. It is as if a strong force of wind is blowing, blowing a part of us away and we’re just watching.
The death of this tradition causes the death of a skillfull profession too, just like the end of pearl diving. Burqa makers will not be needed anymore, because the demand for burqa’s would decrease to nothing.
We have always tried our best to stick to our culture and traditions, but, due to the constantly evolving world around it, the unbreakable protection we used to have around us is slowly fading away. The world used to be a sphere full of tradition, a vast, wide sea filled with a range of different cultures. The fact of the matter is that beauty never lasts. Just like all beauty, this beauty is beginning to die, like a flower when it withers and rots, and all its precious treasures are being locked away in a box that’s sealed forever, never to be seen, or experienced, ever again.
The Power of Words 
Well I agree with most of what you said . As I see the thing here in the UAE , UAE citizens are one of the few nations that stick to their culture and dress in a remarkable way t ! For example , if a local guy don’t wear the kandoora he will not be respected as much as when he wear it and this thing is noticed everywhere . Unlike many other countries like Kuwait or Iraq or Bahrain where the young people doesn’t care about the national dress which also is the kandoora and wear other things.. For the ladies , abaya is seen almost everywhere in the UAE . Plus , I believe that the language is the key element of any culture and we have to protect it . As or the Burge3 , its really sad that we see young ladies don’t give any importance to this traditional fabric which was the most significant sign of the UAE women’s identity .. As we have programs like Al meydan and Shaer Al Milion to protect the national dances and poetry , I suggest to make programs and activities regarding the burge3 which will encourage the young ladies to participate and eventually to re embrace this traditional fabric .. thank u for reading this comment and keep it up 🙂
Hussain
Thats very enlightening, thank you :)Yes I agree an initiative must be taken, but I think things change with each generation and they let go more and more, it all starts in the household I believe and then comes the steps that society takes on these cultural matters…
indeed !!! I agree 100 % 🙂