Holy Islamic Ramadan: A Sacred Month
Holy Islamic Ramadan is a deeply sacred month for Muslims. It commemorates the time when Prophet Mohammed received a divine message from the sky, delivered by the archangel Gabriel. Muslims follow the lunar calendar. This means months typically last 30 days. The lunar calendar differs from the solar calendar by about 11 days. Consequently, Ramadan occurs at different times throughout the year, not just in summer or winter.
Fasting in the Egyptian Summer
Ramadan sometimes approaches the heart of summer. As you may know, Egypt experiences extremely hot summers. During Holy Islamic Ramadan, Muslims abstain from drinking, eating, or having sexual relations. This fast lasts from dawn to sunset each day, for at least 29 or 30 days.
Community and Festivities
Egyptians use this special occasion to gather. They meet anywhere, at any time. Special Ramadan tents, large structures with singers and traditional shows, appear. “Breakfast at Sunsets” becomes a key event. People can visit these tents twice a day for a meal. First, they gather at dusk for breakfast. Then, they return before dawn for “Souhour.” Souhour is the only meal served with breakfast during Ramadan. So, Egyptians effectively have two meals a day during Holy Islamic Ramadan.
Generosity on the Streets
Furthermore, if you find yourself stuck in traffic as the sunset prayer call begins, do not worry. You should eat something or at least drink dates, tamarind, or juice. Streets will flood with people offering free drinks. Many will continue offering until you tell them to stop.
Additionally, if you are poor and lack money for food, you can eat for free all month. This happens across Egypt: in big cities, countrysides, villages, small towns, and on both big and small streets—literally everywhere. Wealthy individuals hire cooks, chefs, and servers. During Holy Islamic Ramadan, they erect large tents with tables and seats before sunset. Everyone, rich or poor, can break their fast there. The goal is to ensure everyone breaks their fast daily at sundown. The same generosity extends to mosques. Anyone can visit any mosque to eat at sunset or at least receive a date drink.
Breaking the Fast and Spiritual Reflection
Fasting during Ramadan includes breakfast at sundown and another supper at Souhour before dawn. A special blend of brown dry dates, dry apricots, dry figs, raisins, and coconuts provides the necessary sugar after a day of fasting. As the sun sets, Muslims first drink this blend. Then, they perform the sunset prayer, which takes about 10 minutes. After prayer, they begin with soup, then the main meal. Ramadan is a month for everyone to improve their manners and behavior. It encourages becoming a truly kind person. During Ramadan, Muslims believe God banishes all evil spirits.
Holy Islamic Ramadan Lanterns and Egyptian Traditions
During Holy Islamic Ramadan, Muslims hang large lanterns in the streets. These illuminate the entire country. This tradition originally relates to the morning prayer, which most Muslims perform in the mosque. I can tell you that many of these events are particularly prominent in Egypt. This includes the tent parties, street lanterns, and children buying Ramadan-themed lanterns.
