Ramadan Kareem Celebrations

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year which follows a lunar calendar. Each month begins with a sighting of the moon's crescent and lasts 29 or 30 days until a sighting of the next month's crescent.

The month of Ramadan commemorates the days when the Angel Gabriel imparted the wisdom of the Koran, Islam's holy book, to the Prophet Mohammed.

It is during this month that Muslims fast. It is called the Fast of Ramadan and lasts the entire month. According to Sharia, or Islamic law, all adult Muslims must fast during the holy month. Only the sick, pregnant and nursing women, and travelers are exempt. This makes the fasting a worldwide phenomenon observed by the devoted among the world's one billion Muslims as one international community.

During the Fast of Ramadan strict restraints are placed on the daily lives. Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink during the daylight hours. Smoking and sexual relations are also forbidden during fasting. At the end of the day the fast is broken with a meal called the Iftar. The fasting person must abstain from lying, cheating, argumentation, fighting, foul language and every sort of evil. These are considered offensive at all times, but are most offensive during the Fast of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims continue with their prayers five times a day, but after the night prayer is performed, a special prayer called Taraweeh is performed. This is a voluntary prayer that consists of reading the Quran during the time of Ramadan. The length of this prayer is usually 2-3 times as long as the daily prayers. In many mosques the whole Quran is read during Taraweeh prayers over the month. In some mosques it is read several times.

In Egypt Ramadan is celebrated in a very unique fashion. The festive activities in the streets goes from an hour or so after sundown until early hours of the next morning.

Mosques, stores and streets are lighted with millions of colorful lamps. Most streets are decorated by group effort of neighbors. They decorated narrow streets with colorful papers (like birthday decorations) and big size colorful lanterns call Fanous. Each group of neighbors complete to have their street look better than the others.

When Ramadan arrives, everybody congratulates his neighbors and relatives. You can see the happiness all over.

People start to prepare for Sohour (a very late meal before sun raise). Mostly Sohour contains Foul (Fava Beans), cheese, yogurt and bread. After Sohour some people wait until they pray Fajar then they go to work or go to sleep.

Egyptian usually has hearty Iftar with their family members as well as relatives. Iftar invitations between relatives and friends cover most of the month. Most mosques serve Iftar for the poor during the whole month. The working hours are adjusted to start earlier and finish before Iftar. Streets are almost empty during Iftar.

Even public bus drivers park their buses at any mosque and take their Iftar.

Families spend the evening watching special TV programs, strolling through streets to greet neighbors, visit relatives, or go out to El-Hussein mosque, Khan El-Khalili, ... etc.

Few days before Ramadan starts, parents with their children go to buy Fanous. Fanous is a small colorful lanterns that lights with a small bulb or candle. Some of the Fanous are made traditionally of colored glass and are lighted with candles. While the new generation of Fanous are made of plastic(for safety) and lighted with small bulb.

Children have their own celebration during Ramadan. Every night after Iftar, children gather to play with their Fanous. They walk in groups with cheerful and happen and sing a traditional song to welcome Ramadan. The song starts as following: