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What it means

The hamsa is a blessing in the shape of a hand. Tradition holds that it turns away the evil eye, the harm that envy is believed to carry, and keeps a home and its people well. An eye drawn in the palm makes that link plain.

Where it comes from

Hand amulets are older than the faiths that keep them today; they are known from the ancient Near East and North Africa. In Islam the hand is linked with Fatima, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, and in Judaism with Miriam, sister of Moses and Aaron. Muslim families across the Maghreb and Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews have hung it for centuries, and Christians in the region keep it too.

Some religious teachers in both faiths discourage amulets, and many families keep the hamsa simply as a sign of home, heritage and good wishes.

How people keep it

It is most often hung by the front door or above a child's bed, worn as a pendant, or given to a bride. Fingers pointing up are read as warding off harm; fingers pointing down, as a welcome and a blessing.

In Morocco and Tunisia it is painted on doors and walls, worked into jewellery and woven into textiles; in Israel it hangs in kitchens and from car mirrors. It often carries a blessing, a verse or a small blue eye.

Choosing one

Pick the direction that suits its place: fingers up by the door, fingers down above a table or a bed. A hamsa given as a gift often comes with a short written wish. Glass and metal pieces need only a dry cloth.