Ramadan Kareem: Traditions, Meaning and Celebrations

In Europe, there is a unique atmosphere during Christmas, with lots of decorations in malls, hotels, central places everywhere, and parties and fireworks in the new year. 

In Egypt, one of the most critical occasions is highly clear for residents and any visitors in time of post in Ramadan.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar; it differs from the traditional calendar since it depends on the moon; months in this calendar have 30  or 29  days, so it is less than the official calendar, around  11  years, and every 33 years in compare to Islamic it will be one year less the official one.

According to the Islamic cult, the month’s position is at the core of this religion since it was mentioned many times in the Quran, referring to the importance of this month, even if it was the month of receiving the Quran from God to the prophet Mohammed.

During this month, it is not allowed to drink or eat or smoke from dawn till sunset for each Muslim whose age is older than 13 years old, with exceptions: for pregnant, childbirth, sick, older people, and during hard travel.

 The traditions of this month are very varied and rich in their types before and after this month. 

Around two weeks before this month,  lots of preparations for this month which are represented in decorations made by kids and adults indeed in streets a very colorful way revealing their joy and love of this month, since it is somehow their chance to be closer to god and get purified from their guilties, and to consolidate poor people. 

The first day of Ramadan is extraordinary; it starts at 2 am. At this time, in most suburbs of Egypt, walking in the street man who is called “misaharati” with a drum and a small stick made a high sound as wake-up calls for Muslims to wake up and eat before posting in a very melody way as if he is singing, he encourages people to wake with joy to eat and be ready for post and to pray during dawn.

Also, before Ramadan, the best gift for kids was a unique lamp called “FANUS” the kids use this gift as a game, most of these lamps are made from plastic, and inside its shape, there is a  small lamp with a battery. And this type of lamp is not only for kids, but the vast majority of homes also have this lamp but in a bigger size, and I think this habit appeared hundred of years to make more lights in the street helping people to go to mosques for pray evening or during dawn. 

During post in Ramadan, most people try to use time as much as possible in reading Quran and praying. Muslims believe that the best deeds to god during this month since the position of Ramadan in  Islamic mentality, one of the last ten nights in this month are better than one thousand months.

The most donations paid by Egyptians are during this month, especially for hospitals that offer medical care for kids in Cairo and Aswan with professor Magdi Yakub.

One of the most critical features in Egypt during this month is “mawaad al Rahman,” which could be translated as courts of god, which exist in the main streets in Egypt, offering sunset food and drinks free of charge for everyone being the streets in this time, it sponsored by rich people who like to offer their donates as food and drinks for every poor person, even some Christians organize such events to poor people during Ramadan. 

In addition to all the notes mentioned above about this month,  however, it is the month of the post, there is a wide variety of food, desserts, and drinks, which will be more detailed in the following article. 🙂