Jordan's Culture
Desert landscapes and fascinating biblical sites
Arabic is Jordan’s official language.
Jordan is considered the IT capital of the middle east, and home to the best educated population in the Levant.
Jordan offers a variety of wonders, from vast desert, to the Dead Sea, to the ancient city of Petra.
Jordanians typically respect those who are kind, friendly, and hospitable. They are generally socially conservative; family values and honor are fiercely protected. Jordanians are proud of their rich cultural heritage.
In Jordan, people do not always make direct eye contact during conversation. Usually, this is due to shyness. Public displays of affection are not common. The Jordanian communication style is direct and expressive. People in Jordan are upfront with their emotions, rather than concealing or repressing them. Often, conversations may sound loud or heated, but this does not necessarily mean there is conflict.
Every single guest must be greeted. Greeting the large number of visiting guests or relatives can be more stressful than expected. Each and every one of them must be greeted with customary cheek kissing, and that takes a rather long while (especially when a certain old auntie hasn’t see you in a while and pulls you in for more kisses). This is also why handshakes are impractical—imagine how much more time that would add to the ritual.
Mansaf is considered Jordan’s national dish, which consists of lamb stewed in a jameed (yogurt sauce) and rice, topped with nuts, more jameed, and a flat bread called shrak. Jordanians often eat hummus (a dip made of chickpeas) with fava beans and falafel (fried balls of crushed chickpeas mixed with oil and spices). Bread is dipped into zayt (olive oil) and za’atar (Middle Eastern herb, similar to oregano and thyme, mixed with sesame seeds and other spices). Lamb and chicken are the most commonly eaten meats.
National holidays in Jordan include New Year’s Day (January 1), Labor Day (May 1), and Independence Day (May 25). Islamic religious holy days follow the lunar calendar. Catholic and Orthodox Christians observe some religious holidays according to different calendars but celebrate them on one day.
