An-Najah News - Nablus - Palestinian refugee Um Zeid spends her days at home in Al-Baqaa camp in Jordan a dressmaker of Palestinian embroidery which gives her an income and keeps Palestinian tradition alive. "At first, this was a hobby, because I love wearing the Palestinian embroidered thobe (dress), but it has since become my profession," she said.

The mother of seven works with five other women hand-sewing the dresses from brightly colored thread. The 47-year-old Palestinian woman who was born in Al-Baqaa camp in Amman remember how her family fled from their home in occupied West Bank territory when Israel took over the land during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

 "It's very crucial to me that our heritage and identity are not lost. I adore see Palestinian heritage on people, on Palestinian women, if here or abroad," she said. Nemat Saleh, who heads the Hanouneh Society for Popular Culture, where embroidered thobes are worn in parties and festivals to restore Palestinian folklore, says the patterns and colors of the robes distinguish the village from another. "Our attire is unique, and despite the small size of Palestine, there is great variety in the dresses," Saleh said.