Samar Yahya Saudi Gazette Ramadan is the month of immense blessings for all Muslims. Apart from fasting, reading the Qur'an, offering late night prayers and supplicating Allah, people of different countries have different ways and traditions of celebrating this holy month. In Egypt, Ramadan is celebrated with jubilance and Egyptians put in great efforts to make the days memorable and flamboyant for their family and friends. The streets and houses in Egypt are adorned with colorful lanterns or “Fawanees” in different sizes. The lanterns hold great significance for most Egyptians as it is a tradition practiced since the time of the Fatimid Caliphate, symbolizing the rich and colorful heritage and culture of the country. With the advent of Ramadan, Egyptians also adopt the century-old tradition of “Mesahrati,” –– a man and woman in some districts roam around the city beating drums to wake up people for Suhoor and Fajr prayer. Ramadan is also when people like to gorge on delectable dishes. And just like every other country, plethora of dishes are prepared for Suhoor and Iftar in Egypt. However, Egyptians avoid a few dishes at Suhoor, like spicy food, fish and Khushari as they make people feel thirsty during the long hours they have to fast. At the time of the Maghrib prayer, Egyptians bring to life another 16th century tradition – cannon firing. Long before the advent of TV and other modern technology to help people keep track of time, the cannon's blank shots would make the fasters aware of the Iftar time and Maghrib prayer. And the legacy continues till date as the people of Egypt has made the cannon firing an integral part of the holy month. The first day of Ramadan is always exciting and the ladies in the house also strive to make the day exceptional by preparing lavish meals. Since its summer, cold drinks like apricot juice, Qamarudin, licorice, hibiscus and tamarind are found on all most every Iftar tables. Other dishes which find themselves on the tables of most Egyptian families are rice with liver and nuts, ducks, pigeons, chicken or beef. The heavy and hearty main course meal is followed by oriental desserts that are served with mint tea. A popular dessert among Egyptians in Ramadan is Konafa, a dish made with dried vermicelli and stuffed with nuts, coconut, and raisins. Women in Egypt strive to be creative with its filling and timely experiment with new stuffings, such as mangoes, dates, crème or custard. Qatayf is another sweet dish popular in Iftar. Round pancakes are filled with nuts, dates, and cream which are deep fried before being dipped into a thick sugary syrup. Egyptians living in their country or elsewhere put in great efforts to adopt the traditions followed by their ancestors. Most families residing abroad love to spread the traditions in their locality by calling it the “Egyptian Ramadan.” Sayed Zaki and his wife always buy “Fawanees” for their kids in Ramadan and make it a point to adorn their houses with it. Sohair Sonbol, an architect living in Jeddah with her family, said, “Living in Jeddah gives us the privilege to visit Makkah and perform more than one Umra during Ramadan. We should all thank God for it .”
