khallas!

12 Mar

bingo

In Beit Jala (Bethlehem) March 12 is Old Age Day or the Feast of Old People.

There probably is a better translation of the actual name of the day, but that is how my Palestinian friend, Waseim, refers to the occasion in English. To be fair to him, I would not be capable of translating and speaking about “Seniors Appreciation Day” in Arabic.

At the Catholic parish there is a gathering for those we call the seniors. The parish priest mingles with the group. Of course, there is lunch. And the tembola cards come out. Tembola is a Palestinian version of bingo. When they “bingo,” they yell, “Khallas (Stop, Enough, End).”

Along with the Mass, there are others things that seem to be universal in our Catholic Church: our love of older people, older people’s enjoyment of being in each other’s company, their commitment to their parish, their affection for their parish priest – and tembola!

2 Responses to “khallas!”

  1. Waseim O Kasabry March 12, 2014 at 10:35 am #

    YES FR……. I thing the translation is Senior Day …… another thing is the word (Stop, End, Enough) is not KHALAS…….its KHALES …… with E letter before S…..

  2. Char March 12, 2014 at 11:43 am #

    We have some of that, love of parish, affection for parish priest and bingo!,,

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