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. 2007 Jul 9;3:28. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-3-28

Table 2.

Family/Personal Issues/Respect of the tree

Issue Druze
(n = 34)
Bedouin
(n = 29)
Arab
(n = 45)
Field obser-vations
(n = 26)
References from the Middle East and adjacent regions World references
Rag tying 73.5 68.9 84.4 100 Middle East (21 and references therein). Many countries all over the globe (See 21, and references therein)

Placing object for the absorbing of Barakeh/divine blessing 38.2 37.9 71.1 57.6 Israel(22: Passim, 176:48,51)

Personal vows/requests/petitions for health/wishing tree/ 58.8 62.0 71.1 15.3 Israel (19: passim,, 20, passim, 21:passim, 22: passim, 177:176, 136:79);
Syria (145:296, 178:173)
Scotland (179:499);
Estonia (180:4) ; Serbia (30:97);
Russia (106:322);
East Africa (45:4, 150:263);
Sierra Leone (126:48);
Guinea – Bissau (159:389);
Chad (181:248);
India (182:353, 183:55–59, 184:43);
Japan (185:23; 186:10);
Australia, New Zealand (14:164)

Weddings 17.1 51.7 28.8 15.3 Israel (20: passim) India (76:91, 39:175, 187:62)

Lighting candle/lamps 23.5 24.1 31.1 65.3 Israel (136:79, 176:43);
Lebanon (144:34);
Turkey (88:216, 89:80, 188:41)
Balkan (188:41);
Russia (31:94);
Uganda (189:461): Armenia (190:II:173);
India (93:87)

Hammering of nails 8.8 17.2 8.9 23.0 Israel (:24:7–8);
Egypt (95:27);
Turkey (89:80);
Kurdistan (88:216)
Europe (84: passim);
Russia (106:320);
Ireland (105:195). India (92:97, 93:182);
West Himalaya (94:xxi)

Placing stones on/under the tree Leaving stones on the tree or in heaps/cairns 2.9 10.3 8.9 26.9 Ancient Israel (101:212);
Israel (177:76);
Muslim world (88:211)
Russia (191:114);
India (103:19, 1921:457, 458);
Korea (60:44);

Incense (as a part of a personal form of praying) 5.9 17.2 24.41 19.2 Israel (193:359);
Syria (144:297)
India (51:66);
Armenia (190:II:173);

Funeral/burial under the tree/at the sacred grove (also of leaders and heroes) 0 24.1 20.0 23.0 Existing tombs/cemet eries Ancient Israelites, (Genesis 35:8);
Israel (137:37, 136:74).
Mongolia (129:280);
Zimbabwe (194:200, 195:164);
Kenya (196:6);
Ghana (197:34, 198:225);
Mozambique(122:229);
Tanzania (199:59);
Okinawa (161:48);

Tree Embracing/touching/kissing 55.9 6.9 4.4 7.7 Ancient Rome (200, XVI: 242);

Leaving objects/food under tree as charity 26.4 20.6 15.5 30.7

Praying while passing near the tree 0 6.9 7.7 0

Cleaning around the tree 5.9 10.3 2.2 23.0