The hamsa is a hand-shaped amulet found throughout the Middle East, sometimes used for protection by Jewish and Muslim people. Hamsas are used in jewelry and wall-hangings, and also can be found on the entrances in homes or hanging in cars because of the superstition that they ward off the evil eye and protect people around them. Before making a decorative hamsa, your children can learn about this cultural object, its history and uses.
The Middle East is a group of countries in western Asia and northern Africa that is the culturally rich home to numerous ethnic groups (such as Jews, Kurds, Somalis, Arabs), and the birthplace of many religions (such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). The word hamsa comes from the Arabic word for the number 5, for the 5 fingers of the hand: خمسة khamsah. In Islam, the hamsa represents the hand of Fatima, Mohammed’s daughter. The five fingers also symbolize the five pillars of Islam. In Jewish tradition, the hamsa is called YAD HA’CHAMESH or the hand of Miriam, the sister of Moses. The five fingers also represent the five books of the Torah. Christians refer to the hamsa as the hand of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Thus, the open image of the right hand is a symbol of protection, blessings, and strength for the 3 major religions of the region. The light blue eye wards of evil spirits, and the silver metal it is frequently made of is believed to have magical powers. If you travel in the Middle East, or visit someone who is originally from the area, you are bound to see this symbol- and now you will understand the historical and cultural significance!
To make this stunning, but relatively easy craft, you first need to fold your paper in half, and draw a half hamsa, or half-hand. Click here to see thousands of examples of hamsas. Next, have the children trace it onto their cardboard.
For younger children, you can make the hamsa template and have them trace it onto their cardboard. Once you have the cardboard cut out, use aluminum foil to wrap the hand. Ages 7 and up and do this by themselves, but the younger children will need a little help. Aluminum foil has 2 sides- make sure to leave the shinier side facing out.
Now comes the fun part! Using either a toothpick or a pen tip (without the ink clicked on), have the children carve little designs into the foil hamsa. They should draw a very large eye in the palm of the hand, that they will later paint. We talked about symmetry, balance, and dominance (of the eye in the middle, standing out in relation to the rest of the project). We also talked about cultural symbols, and that every culture has symbols that represent good and evil. In the past, these symbols were relied on to keep people healthy and safe.
We painted the white part of the eye first on our hamsa. Next, we painted the dark blue around the eyes. We finished the inside with a light blue eye, and a black pupil. Isn’t it gorgeous? I feel lucky already!
Heeheee… looks like a lot of fun!
Will be reposting this in our Evil Eye page on Facebook. :)))
Evil Eye Jewelry by AlfredAndVincent.com
Perfect! I will check it out!:)
Yeah. I posted it in our page. 🙂 Isn’t it amazing how all 3 religions share this symbol? :)))
Evil Eye Jewelry by AlfredAndVincent.com
I thought that was so cool when I read that! I had no idea it was such a universal symbol- it made the craft even more meaningful:).
Yes! I knew from friends that it was used in the Muslim culture, but I never knew it was also a symbol in Jewish and Christian religions as well!
Everyone in my whole extended family has at least one evil eye pendant and wears it when we think we look exceptionally better than normal just to ward off all those haters and jealous people. Personally I must have over a dozen evil eyes of different size and design. It’s hard to explain but I can attest that this stuff really works, or at least I like to believe it does. I picked up my latest evil eye bracelet from the evil eye collection at http://designerjewelrysavings.com/
Very cool:).
Where did you find information about the cultural symbols? I want to do this activity with my kids at work, and I’d love to include accurate information. Awesome project! Thanks
I asked some friends from the regions, but also did research on my own in books/encyclopedias at the library, and web sites such as this: http://www.hamsameaning.com/ 🙂 I hope this helps!!!