Algerians champion traditional dress for Eid al-Fitr By News from Elsewhere...

...as found by BBC Monitoring Published duration 26 June 2017 Related Topics Eid al-Fitr

image copyright Twitter/@NesreenTafesh image caption Actor Nesreen Tafesh 'fesses up to her Algerian heritage and wishes everyone a happy Eid

Algerians have launched the hashtag #Wear_Algerian_in_Eid to encourage people to don traditional dress to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Muslims traditionally wear new clothes or dress up for the occasion to mark the end of fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Algerians usually wear a mix of western and traditional clothing, but some users have taken to social media this holiday to share pictures of themselves and others in just traditional clothes, including embroidered dresses and jackets, and hooded Burnous cloaks.

Most are praising Algeria's culture and calling on others to preserve the country's heritage.

"Our clothes are part of our identity and our heritage. They tell a story of the phases our country has been through, and are a cultural extension of our forefathers," said one Twitter user

Beauty blogger A Comme Algerienne noted happily that "national dress is trending", and posted a colourful collage of embroidered dresses that she said were dominating her Instagram feed.

The #Wear_Algerian_in_Eid hashtag was the country's top Twitter trend for most of the first day of Eid.

Others also noted that the campaign, which is running for the second time, appeared more successful than it was the previous year.

"All our media personalities, artistes, sportsmen and women, and all Algerians have joined us in donning traditional Algerian dress" said one commentator

image copyright Twitter/@chemssouBoudraa image caption Singer and presenter Chems Eddine Bourdaa joins the fun online in his embroidered velvet karakou