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During the second half of the month of Octo- ber and until the end of November extends the Olive harvest season, one of the most important harvest seasons for the livelihood of Palestinian peasants. All the family mem- bers leave school and work and take to the hills and valleys where their olive trees are abundant, and work in olive picking from dawn till dusk, day after day. Children, parents, and grandparents, each have a role to play. Rela- tives and friends offer a helping hand when- ever they can. Schools and universities take a long weekend holiday towards the end of the month to help in the olive picking which is an arduous task. The younger ones climb the tree to pick the olives and throw them on the large mat placed beneath the tree. The older ones and the women pick the olives that fall on the mat and place them in the big sacks especially used for this harvest. One tree af- ter another, the olives are picked and prop- erly stacked. The olives are then taken to press: some are pressed and taken home for pickling and the rest are squeezed into olive oil. This is the time to stock on new olive oil and people buy large quantities for domestic use to last at least a year, until the next har- vest. Usually, if the harvest is excellent one year, it is poor the next, and with the shortage in water and rain, this year's harvest does not look very promising. If you happen to pass by a family picking ol- ives by the road, do not hesitate to offer a helping hand, it will be highly appreciated. If they give you some green olives for pickling, follow this basic recipe:

1. Soak the crushed green olives in fresh wa- ter for three days, changing the water every morning. If the olives are not crushed already, make three parallel vertical slits in each olive.