Ramadan and Capitalism

by Taimur Rahman

Ramzan is supposed to be a month where one is supposed to abstain from the material and other pleasures of the world. It is a month when we are supposed to find out what it feels like to have little or nothing. Those who have plenty are supposed to know what it feels like to have nothing. The rich are supposed to give alms to the poor. The general feeling one gets is that it should be a period when the rich abstain from consumption and help the poor.

But in Pakistan the opposite is the case. During the month of Ramadan, demand for commodities goes through the roof. People are not abstaining and consuming less. In fact, they are consuming more. All major corporations in Pakistan know that in the month of Ramzan overall consumption rises. Hence, they spend incredible amounts of money advertising their products with massive billboards and TV adds that invite more consumption under the sanctimonious garb of promoting the Ramzan spirit.

The overall result is that prices of all commodities are going up. And this causes the cost of living to go up. And inevitably means that those who are poor become poorer. Those on the poverty line descend into poverty. Those in poverty descend below the hunger line. All the charity in the world cannot compare with the affect of the overall rise in cost of living. Whatever the rich are giving in terms of alms is an insignificant portion of what is being taken away from millions of families by the rise in prices.

At the end of the day, this Ramzan, instead of being a month of abstinence for the rich and alms for the poor, is a month of super-consumption for the rich and increasing poverty for the poor.

Such is the reality of Ramzan under the influence of capitalism in Pakistan.

Egypt Feature Story Ramadan Festival in Korba, Heliopolis

by Seif Kamel

Many tourists to Egypt wonder whether Ramadan is a good time to visit Egypt. This being a major holiday in Egypt, many believe that tourist facilities might have limited hours, or might not be open at all. Though there are some very small exceptions, this, for the most part, is not the case. In fact, Ramadan is a wonderful cultural experience that brings a little more sparkle and fun to the Egyptian streets. It is a grand time in Egypt, and for many tourists, a great time to visit. Particularly during the evening, Egyptians are in a very festive mood during Ramadan, which has a very similar flavor to Christmas in the west.

It was a different day in Heliopolis. Friday the 29 of October was one of the sweet Ramadan evenings that will have a special memory in my mind. The neighborhood of Korba was dressed in its best. Cars were not permitted to go inside Baghdad Street, one of most popular and important streets of Korba. Ramadan Decorations were everywhere in the street with lots of Fanoos (The Ramadan famous lamp). Many Cafes such as the Marriott Bakery and Beano's had tables set in the street and there were vendors selling Beliela and Homos El Sham, the most popular Ramadan items. It was really, as the organizers of the event named it, the Ramadan Korba night.

This was the second street festival in Heliopolis. The last time was the 100 year birthday celebration for Heliopolis, but the Ramadan Korba night was different.

I was there at eight o'clock and the festival was about to begin. The members of the Heliopolis development organization who were responsible for the event built two huge stages, one at the beginning and the other in the middle of Baghdad Street. The place wasn’t really crowded when I first got there but afterwards the street was full of people. The street contained more than 15 thousand people at times. Many famous companies sponsored the event, including 7 Up and Pepsi, who were promoting their new mineral water, Aquafina.

The festival started with a group of five men who performed the oriental Tanoora dance. They are usually referred to as the whirling dervish, though technically they are not. The Tanoora is the large costume that looks like a skirt that the dancers wear around their waist. The dancers than whirl in circles. This part was held on the stage in the middle of the street. By the time the dancers started, the street was full of people watching and singing as the dancers danced to many famous eastern tunes. Suddenly, with no one expecting it, the group left the stage and started dancing in the midst of the audience.

After the Tanoora dancers finished their show, suddenly the eyes of the people went in another opposite direction. This wasn’t because of the festival or any of the shows. It was a surprise for us to suddenly see Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, the First Lady of Egypt, and Gamal Mubarak her son, the leader of the Watany political party, walking in the street and going to a table set for them. It made us feel like we all belong to the same family of Egyptians. Of course, everyone had to have pictures of the First Family. Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak noted after the festival that it was a great night to see the people of Heliopolis enjoying themselves and she hoped that similar events would take place in other Cairo and Egypt districts.

The second part of the festival was began on the other stage. It was a musical with Selim Sahab and the coral of the Egyptian opera house. They sang around six famous Ramadan pieces. The most popular was Wahawy ya Wahawy, a very old Ramadan song that children sing while playing with the Fanoos. A lot of people gathered around the stage to listen to the music that everybody loves. Many other people just stood around or sat on the pavements. The festival was a great event to meet old friends that you never thought of seeing as there were so many people all around the street.

The third part of festival was the El Leila El Kebeera, a famous musical play in the Egyptian culture. The original play was performed using puppets but the one performed in the festival was full of children dancing and singing. I believe this was the best part of the festival because this play is loved by many people.

The forth part of the festival was the performance of Yehia Khalil, the international Jazz drummer. Many people thought he would not fit in the mood of Ramadan with its eastern atmosphere. However, he was very successful in choosing his songs and he added a lot to the festival and many people danced to his music.

The last part of the festival was very interesting. It consisted of Mohamed Meta'al, the Son of Sheikh Meta'al, who is considered to be by many the best Rababa player known in Egypt. Rababa is a string instrument that sounds much like a Guitar. Young Meta'al and his band sang many famous songs and it was a fine ending to a different evening.

The festival ended at two in the morning and I believe more than thirty-thousand people attended. When a thousand people left the festival, another thousand came in. All the people I met felt the Ramadan taste in the festival, and everyone seemed to consider it a wonderful evening of free entertainment. It was great to see all sectors of the Egyptian society mingling together in one place, having fun and enjoying the festival. Young and old, rich and poor, and men and women all were present in a special night of Ramadan for Heliopolis.

One of the bands on stage in Korba

Egypt Feature Story, Al Hussein Square and Ramadan

by Seif Kamel

One of the busiest places in Cairo, particularly during Ramadan, is the Al Hussein area which includes the Khan el-Khalili market. The Hussein Mosque is considered one of the most important mosques in Cairo and a beautiful Islamic monument. It was built in the Fatimid period in the year 1154 and modified in the year 1236. The mosque is named after Al Hussein, the son of Aly Ibn Aby Taleb, the forth Khalifa (Deputy of Mohamed), May God bless him. The mosque is decorated fascinatingly with gold and Eastern decorations. It was totally renewed during the reign of Khedive Ismail in the beginning of the 20th century and the remains of the cemetery were discovered while some work was being done near the mosque foundation. The mosque is a unique piece of art and so many people visit Al Hussein mosque in Ramadan and in the holidays afterwards.

Around this area, which was named after the mosque, lies one of the most famous and popular tourist spots in Egypt, the Khan el-Khalili. In this place everything seems old and Egyptian. There are a huge number of shops in the area that sell all kinds of gifts and souvenirs. This is besides the many oriental cafes spread all over the place.

I decided to visit Hussein an hour after Iftar (the meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan, served after sunset). This is because Hussein has a different atmosphere in Ramadan and because I wanted to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds of people expected to be there.

My trip started when I met my friend Eman, whom I asked to escort me, and she was kind enough to come along. We met in Tahrir square downtown in Cairo. I thought I would never find a cab to take us to Hussein because it is usually very crowded. However, the first taxi I waved down agreed to go to Hussein.

We arrived there at 7:30 on the other side of the street. I gave the cab driver five pounds and we were off. We had to pass through the tunnel to go to the other side of the road. The last time I went through these tunnels was when I was in high school, and some ten years later the tunnels are quite the same. However, they are much cleaner than in the past.

When we reached the other side of the street, we found that many people were already there. Apparently, many of them broke fast here in order to have the place to themselves after Iftar.

There are many shops that sell silver. They sell modern bracelets and rings and they also sell the pharaonic style items. Some also sell huge bowls that are only silver plated. Other shops sell souvenirs such as little statues of the sphinx and Ramesses. Many of these statues seem to look exactly as if they were made by the ancients. This is because they were created accurately with great talent. Many tourists from different parts of the world were anxious to buy these gifts.

The other most popular items sold here, at least during Ramadan, is the Fanoos, the Ramadan lamps. Children in the past used to hold them in their hands and go around and play while singing the popular Ramadan songs that never changed. Fanoos are sold everywhere because they adds a lot to the Ramadan mood, like Christmas trees in the west during Christmas.

Papyrus art is sold in Hussein as well and there wasn’t a single tourist that wasn’t interested in checking them out. We all know that papyrus was used by the pharaohs but now there are some small factories that specialize in Papyrus. Some of them are even painted using gold, but these are quite expensive. The other papyrus cost between 80 and 120 LE (Egyptian Pounds). This is off course according to the size and the quality of the paper.

The shops that attracted me, and Eman even more than me, were the costumes and cloth shops. Some of these shops specialize in selling cloth of special kinds like kettan, that the pharaohs used to wear. Many shops were selling the Galabeya, the traditional female robe in Egypt. These outfits had attractive colors and like everything there one can buy a robe that has modern ornaments or one with pharaonic designs and they all are sold at very good prices. Of course, one must bargain a little. Some shops even sell hats and other headdresses that were worn in Egypt during various periods of time. The red Tarboosh is the main item in this collection. These are no longer really popular among Egyptians, but they were once very popular. You can also find the Arabian cloth (turbans) Egyptians put on to protect their heads in the desert regions. Some shops even sell old pharaonic crowns, if you want to feel like a king, but but of course these are all reproductions.

Then there are the stores that sell belly dancing costumes, and all of the accessories used for belly dancing. Many women, even the Egyptians, dream of wearing this outfit. It is said that every Egyptian girl knows how to belly dance, even though they may not do so in front of an audience. Many cute women dream of wearing this outfit and dancing for their husbands at home or in small family parties. These customs are really exciting as they have the hottest colors.

Other shops sell oriental musical instruments like the Oud and Tabla. These are oriental instruments similar to the guitar and drums in Europe. The Tabla comes in many different shapes and sizes. One can buy one and start performing immediately, though it takes an Egyptian artist years to become a professional on the Tabla. The Oud is even harder to learn. This is because it doesn’t have frets like the guitar. They say that the heart moves the fingers to play the Oud.

Eating is another big adventure in Hussein. After more than two hours of walking to check out most of the shops, Eman and I had to find a place to rest. There are many cafes in the Khan el-Khalili but the most popular and one of the most famous is the Fishawy Café inside the shopping area of the Khan el-Khalili. The café was full of people at 9 o'clock at night. It seemed as if we were in the Cairo international airport, as there were many people from all regions of the world. The cafe offers all kinds of Oriental drinks, cold and hot. The thing I love to drink most there is Sahlab, which is a white drink that tastes very sweet and heavenly, and Homos El Sham which makes the body warm on cold winter nights. Qasab, molasses juice, is also available in many cafes and shops. Another café with the same mood is the Khan el-Khalili restaurant, that was full of tourists. The place offers all kinds of Oriental food and drinks with very good prices.

Another great shop is the Fatatry El Hussein (Hussein pastry). It is located at the beginning of the shopping area and just beside the mosque. They sell all kinds of Oriental pastries. A very good meal can consist of an Oriental sausage ( Fateera) pastry, a drink of Qasab, and a sugar covered pastry as a dessert. This meal costs about 20 to 25 pounds. This is one of my favorite meals when I visit this shop. They also offer pastries with cheese, vegetables, eggs, beef, or seafood. Dessert pastries can have nuts, cream, honey, or a mix of everything.

This small area of Cairo, so popular with tourists, is a magnitude more exciting during Ramadan, with the festivities surrounding the adjacent mosque. Ramadan tends to make Egyptian night life more entertaining then usual, and certainly more festive, and no where else is this more evident than in Hussein square.

Eid: Celebration for the Young and Old

by Mohamed Osama

Editor's Note: As of today (November 15, 2004), Ramadan has ended and we are now in the period of of the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which is usually a three day holiday in Egypt.

The word Eid is an Arabic name that means a festivity, a celebration, a recurring happiness, and a feast. In Islam, there are two major Eids namely "Eid al-Fitr" (Festival of Breaking the Fast) celebrating the end of Ramadan and "Eid al-Adha" (Festival of Sacrifice) which coincides with the Hajj and commemorates prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of a sheep in place of prophet Ishmael.

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims after fasting the month of Ramadan as a matter of thanks and gratitude to Almighty Allah. It takes place on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the lunar calendar ⁽¹⁾. Eid al-Fitr is a happy celebration with new clothes, gifts, and plenty of good food. Though technically, Eid al-Fitr is one day, Eid festivities usually last three days in Egypt with vacations for schools, universities and government offices. Some stores and restaurants are closed during Eid, too.

The Eid day starts with a small snack followed by Eid Prayers (Salat al-Eid) in congregation attended by men, women and children. Afterwards neighbors, friends and relatives start greeting each other. The most common greeting is "Eid Mubarak" (Have a blessed Eid). Children are normally given gifts, which traditionally are new clothes to wear throughout the Eid. Also, women (particularly mothers, wives, sisters and daughters) are commonly given special gifts by their loved ones.

It is customary for children to also receive a "Eidyah" from their grown-up relatives. This is a small sum of money that the children receive, to spend on all their activities throughout the Eid. Children wear their new clothes and go out to amusement parks, gardens or public courtyards based on how much their Eidyah affords. The amusement parks can range from the huge ones on the outskirts of Cairo to small mobile neighborhood rides consisting of swings, much like a neighborhood carnival. In a lot of neighborhood courtyards, kids also gather around a storyteller, a puppeteer or a magician mesmerized by Egyptian folktales or by a grownup’s sleight of hand. It is also customary for kids to rent decorated bikes to ride around town.

Eid is a time for family gatherings and since a lot of Egyptian city dwellers are first or second generation immigrants from towns and villages, those gatherings can involve traveling and thus it is the busiest time of the year for highways and trains. Since most Egyptians live in close proximity to the Nile, felucca Nile rides is one common feature of Eid celebration in Egyptian villages, towns and cities. For a lot of families from working neighborhoods, Eid celebration also includes picnics in green areas including parks, zoos, botanical gardens and even green islands on major roads.

The families gatherings involve cooking and eating all kinds of Egyptian food but the item most associated with Eid al-Fitr are Kahk ⁽²⁾ (singuler=Kahka) which are cookies filled with nuts and covered with sugar powder. Egyptians either bake it at home or buy it in the bakery. Thus, a bakery crowded in the last few days of Ramadan with Kahk buyers is a common scene. TV in Egypt celebrates Eid, too, with a continuous marathon of movies as well as programs featuring live interviews from all over Egypt of both public figures and everyday citizens, sharing their Eid celebrations.

So if your Egypt visit coincides with Eid, you can either share with Egyptians their celebrations or catch-up on your shopping by benefiting from Cairo’s and Alexandria’s commercial districts’ least crowded days of the year.

* The author is a grown-up who still longs for his Eid days as a child.

Ramadan Lanterns

by Heba Fatteen Bizzari

Ramadan is the main ritual for all Muslims in the world, but to the Egyptians it’s the magical month that, accompanied with all the mysterious traditions that have become associated with Ramadan, often has no intrinsic link to religion. Some believe that many of the traditions are even incompatible with Islam. One of these magical traditions are Ramadan lanterns (Fawanees, sg. Fanoos or Fanus), which are now frequently made from recycled tin cans or plastic lanterns that play the latest popular music.

Lanterns and lamps of various kinds, hues and degrees of brightness, have always been special to the Egyptians. Many stories of their origins have been told. One story has it that the Fatimid Caliph Al Hakim Bi-Amr Illah wanted to light the streets of Cairo during Ramadan nights, so he ordered all the sheikhs of mosques to hang Fawanees that could be illuminated by candles. As a result, the Fanoos became a custom that has never been abandoned.

Another story states that, during the time of the Caliph Al Hakim Bi-Amr Illah, women were not allowed to leave their houses except during Ramadan, but even then they had to be preceded by a little boy carrying a copper Fanoos. The Fanoos was then used as a tool to announce the arrival of a woman to caution men in the street to move away. As the laws against women softened, women were allowed to go out as they wished but people liked the idea of the Fanoos, and so it became a tradition that little children carry them in the streets everyday to play.

A third story even relates that the lanterns came from a completely different religion. Some believe that the use of lanterns was originally a Coptic Christian tradition celebrated during Christmas time (Coptic version), when people used to celebrate with colorful candles. This story explains that, as many Christians converted to Islam, they took this tradition with them in the form of lanterns made of tin and lit with candles.

Regardless of the validity of these stories, the Fanoos remains a very unique symbol of Ramadan to Muslims and Christians alike. It has passed from generation to generation, and is today explicitly associated with children. It's popular image is children playing out in the streets during Ramadan, happily swinging their Fawanees and singing a nonce rhyme in colloquial Egyptian Arabic which was composed by Ahmed Sherif, who is one of the renowned music writers and composers. The song goes like this:

Wahawi ya Wahawi (metaphorically meaning the light of fire)…Iyuha (an unknown word which is used to rhyme in between)…Ruht ya Sha’ban (you have gone, O Sha’ban referring to the month before Ramadan)…Wi Gheet ya Ramadan (You have gone, O Ramadan)…Iyuha….Bint el Sultan (The daughter of the Sultan)…Iyuha…Labsa el Guftan (Is wearing her caftan)…Iyuha…Yalla ya Ghaffar (For God the forgiver)…Iduna el Idiya (Give us this season’s gift)..Yalla ya Ghafar.

During the few days before Ramadan arrives, children become excited and are more insistent about having a Fanoos. In fact, most of them can hardly wait to start swinging and singing. That’s why, exactly one week before Ramadan, Egypt streets are transformed into workshops for tinsmiths to produce as many Fawanees as possible.

The Fawanees makers are usually very humble people. They; as many other craftsmen in Egypt; work in small areas, in just any corner, in alcoves or just simply under corrugated iron shelters to produce the tens of thousands of Fawanees needed to meet the demand during Ramadan. Actually the Fawanees makers usually start between six to nine months before Ramadan depending on the demand of the market forecasts.

Walking in Ahmed Maher Street, in Bab Zuwayla, one gets to meet many like Morsy Abdel Dayem, a 32 year-old Fanoos maker who has been making Fawanees since he was 15. He sits in a small room, on the floor, with very basic tools, including a flame, and creates with his raw talent Fawanees with various shapes, colors, hues, and brightness.

“A Fanoos usually ranges between 15 and 30 LE. Of course, there are much more expensive ones but that depends on the materials used to make the Fanoos and its size. In the past, the Fanoos was made of copper and brass, but now they are made of recycled tins,” says Abdel Dayem. “We used to make them only to fit candles. Things change, and therefore the quality also changes. We now have, besides the original Fawanees, the Chinese plastic Fawanees that play popular music. These are taking over the market,” he says, "but maybe not as much as some people might think." Obviously, Egyptians have a keen sense of their heritage as well as their traditional local crafts.

“These Fawanees appeared a few years ago. We thought that the Fawanees market would be destroyed especially with the popular songs they play. Some have children singing the Wahawi song. Others play music of pop artists while others play the music of children's cartoons such as Bakaar. But as it turns out, they did not take over the market.. I guess it’s an iconic symbol that can’t be replaced,” he adds.

Today, the crowds during Ramadan remain strong in the shops and streets of Bab Zuwayla, Al Hussain, Sayeda Zainab and many other areas that sell Fawanees. The little one’s are still parading in the streets, swinging their Fawanees, going from door to door singing “wahawi ya wahawi.”

Ramadan in Egypt

by Sameh Arab

Currently, Ramadan is being celebrated in Egypt. It began on October 15th, 2004 and will end on November 14th with the feast of Eid al-Fitr. We at Tour Egypt are often asked about travel during this period. People are concerned about this being a bad time to visit Egypt, but in reality, it is an excellent, festive period which simply adds to the fun. Tourist attractions and facilities continue to operate, but there are great celebrations and a wonderful time for all.

However, it should be noted that officially, monuments and other tourist sites are open until 3:00 PM, while in reality, some of the less frequented sites may close earlier (2:00 PM). While there are many restaurant (though not all) open to tourists, many may not serve alcoholic beverages during Ramadan. However, almost all larger hotels, as well as smaller hotels that cater to tourists will be completely operational, including their bars, and they will serve alcoholic drinks as usual.

Spending the holy month of Ramdan in Egypt is different than elsewhere. Other than the rituals practiced during that month, certain social habits of Egyptian Muslims are much different than anywhere else.

Ramadan is a month that follows the lunar calendar, the basis of the Islamic (or Hijri) calendar. With an eleven-day offset from the Gregorian (western) calendar, the exact timing of Ramadan during the year is variable, sometimes falling in summer and sometimes in winter. The first day of Ramadan too is variable, since "Sha’aban", the preceding month, sometimes has 29 days and sometimes 30 days. Astronomical calculations are utilized to detect the birth of the new moon, yet the cornerstone remains to be its visualization after sunset. Ramadan lasts for 29 or 30 days, as do most lunar months.

The holiness of this month comes from the fact that it marks the day when the Holy Spirit, Gabriel, started the transmission of God’s message to the prophet Mohammad, fourteen centuries ago. The exact date has never been identified, but it is believed to be on one of the last ten days of this month, which Muslims call "Lailat el-Qadr". According to Islam, the month is dedicated to prayers, as it is believed that it is an occasion to wash one’s sins away and enjoy God’s unlimited mercy.

The principal ritual during Ramadan is fasting. This entails abandoning eating, drinking, smoking or sinning, even if minor, throughout the whole day, from dawn to sunset. Though the usual daily practice is in most ways normal, Muslims prefer to spend more time praying or reading the Qora’an, particularly at night.

The daily meals become limited to two, the first of which is the "iftar" when fasting is broken just after sunset. The iftar can be a real bonus to tourists, as many of the hotels offer highly competitive specials for ifar.

The timing of the second meal, "sohour", is variable according to personal preference, but usually delayed as much as possible until just before dawn. In between "iftar" and "sohour", people are allowed to eat as they wish.

What makes this month different in Egypt? A long time ago, Egyptians adopted certain social habits during this month that are not directly related to religion. Officially, the working hours are diminished to allow more time for prayers. People usually sleep very late and spend considerable time in the mosques. The traditional practice starts immediately after sunset, which is announced to people through all mosques by the ritual "azan", or the call for prayers. Once, beginning in the 16th Century, it was the habit of the Egyptian government to fire a canon which could be heard throughout Cairo to announce end of the daily fast. This loud shot was fired from the Citadel over the "el-Moqattam" mountains. Modern technology has replaced this habit so that now announcements are made on radio and TV.

"Iftar" is considered the main meal of the day during Ramadan and is often very rich. Any type of food might be served, but traditionally the desert almost always includes "konafa" or "qatayef". The former is a cake-like food made of wheat with considerable sugar, honey, raisins and different types of nuts. The later is almost the same, but takes the shape of a small circular cake, which is folded to include nuts and raisins.

Since Ramadan is considered to be the most joyful month of the whole year, children also have their share of fun. The "fanoos" or lantern is a must for every kid. These are traditionally made of tin and colored glass, with a candle inside. More modern examples are battery operated, but really lack the spirit (though each year there seems to be a trend to see who can produce the most snazzy fanoos). All mosques and streets during the whole month are full of colored lights in a festival fashion, and in the past, children played in the streets with their lanterns, singing "wahawy ya wahawy". This tradition is still practiced, though rarely now in the streets, except in middle class or poor neighborhoods, and in the countryside.

With the introduction of TV in the 1960’s, traditions changed. TV transmissions lasts 24 hours a day, and the programs include too many new serials and movies. More than half of the serials produced by the Egyptian TV are broadcast during Ramadan for the first time. another traditional program is the "fawazeer", which is a daily riddle usually broadcast during a comedy or musical show. The family is usually gathered around the TV for long hours, if they do not go for prayers. Nuts are consumed as a snack, together with a traditional drink "qamar el-deen¹" which is made of apricot. Most people prefer to spend at least the first day in an extended family reunion, gathering in the home of the grand parents’.

After the first few days, people start to go out after "iftar". Hence, many gatherings between families, friends or colleagues take place for the main meal, and for socializing afterwards. since many people prefer to spend their time in the old fashioned atmosphere of cafes, many hotels now actively market their facilities for this festive occasion. Today, it has become a tradition for all 5-star hotels to erect a large tent, furnished in the old Arabian decoration, where people enjoy their time listening to old traditional songs and music. It all recalls memories of the old classical days. "Sheesha" or water-pipes are smoked almost continuously.

Sports are also popular during Ramadan. Most clubs arrange minor tournaments, especially for football (soccer). Many people of all ages participate in games, including the elders who compete with their peers. It is not unusual to find many professional football players among these teams of amateurs. The issue is not to win, but to share. In poor districts where no clubs are available, the youth and children can utilize a side street or alley as a football field. During Ramadan, people become very tolerant of such activities, though they are not encouraged during other times of the year.

The show continues until late at night, and sometimes right up until the dawn prayers, after which people finally sleep. Of course, not everyone follows this routine. Many somewhat older people find it difficult to keep pace with these celebrations, and of course some must continue to work (for example, those in the tourism business). In the old days, the tradition was for man called a "mesaharaty" to walk down the streets before dawn with a drum. He would wake up the people by singing and calling their names. The mesaharaty was not paid a fixed salary but received donations, and though this profession is now extinct, amateurs continue to practice the tradition.

The worst experience a student might experience is if Ramadan coincides with exams. If possible, the exam timing is shifted by the school or university. But if this is impossible, then the fun may be lost. The majority of people fast during Ramadan, though according to Islam, the sick, travelers, elders and children are not required to follow this requirement. Since the days are longer in summer and the weather is hot, fasting sometimes become difficult. Children usually start demanding that their parents allow them to fast at an early age, though they are usually not allowed to do so before the age of ten, and then only for a short duration. The sick also try to fast, though of course this may be very difficult for them. In fact, no one would ever wish to miss a single day of fasting during this month, although it is possible to compensate later. It is not just the religious obligation, but also the atmosphere.

It is not considered good manners to outwardly make a display of not fasting. Though not illegal, those who do not fast would usually hide to eat, drink or smoke. Egyptian Christians also share also participate in most of these practices with their fellow Muslims. Some would also fast as a sign of national unity, but even those who do not would never eat or drink in public, as a sign of respect to Islamic traditions. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited throughout the month, and all bars are closed (with the exception of many tourist facilities)

On the last day of Ramadan, observatories again check for the new moon. The month ends after the 29th or 30th day, when the "eid" or feast begins.

1. This drink is usually made from from dried apricot sheets, or past, which is placed in boiling water. Qamar el-deem sheets, as they are called, can be found in many specialty Middle East markets. It is also used to make an apricot pudding.