Ramadan the month of fasting
During July, visitors to Sharm El Sheikh will find the hotels decked with lanterns and dressed ready for a celebration. They may also notice that while things are a little quieter during the day, at night the cafes and small restaurants are alive with locals until the early hours before dawn. The Old Market and Naama Bay are always bustling after dark, but during July this year the whole city will seem nocturnal.
The reason is the month of Ramadan; the ninth month in the Islamic calendar during which the Quran was revealed. It is the holiest month of the year and the fast or Sawm which is observed is one of the five pillars of Islam. Each year during Ramadan, Muslims all over the world refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk. Sawm also calls for the devout to refrain from cursing and thinking evil or sexual thoughts. This last one must be difficult for the hotel workers surrounded by bikini clad beauties!
It may seem strange to stop drinking water during one of the hottest months with the longest days, but the Islamic calendar is based on lunar months of 29 or 30 days and has been in existence since 622AD. This was the year when The Prophet Muhamed travelled from Mecca to Medina spreading the word of Allah. Each year has only 354 or 355 days and so this year is 1435 – 579 years behind the Gregorian calendar for those who can do the maths.
The upshot of using a lunar calendar is that like Easter, Ramadan changes dates each year. However while Easter is normally confined to March or April, Ramadan slides its way gracefully through the whole year over time. There are places on the internet where you can check the dates for Ramadan, but they will always be flagged as approximate. This is not because people cannot read a calendar but because the start and end of the month rely on the sighting of the new moon. Obviously the moon can be seen at different times in different countries, so there can be variations in timings up to 24 hours.
Once the new moon has been seen and Ramadan starts in earnest, the highlight of the day is Iftar or breakfast. As the sun sets the devout will perform Maghrib prayers and then take their first food of the day. Iftar is a very social event and consists of soups, meats, rice, stuffed vines and really any and all savoury treats. Many of the Egyptian restaurants and cafes will have a special Iftar set meal with plates and plates of delicious food.
For anyone wanting to soak up the atmosphere of Iftar, the Old Market is the place to be. Just as the sun is setting and the Mosques are sounding the call to prayer, the streets will be nearly deserted. Once prayers are over the cafes and restaurants will be thronged with people enjoying their first meal of the day washed down with plenty of water, fruit juices and tea (chai).
One thing that is not served with these meals is alcohol. Most Muslims do not drink at all, but during Ramadan it is forbidden for any Egyptian to buy or consume alcohol. These rules do not apply to tourists, but the smaller restaurants will not have any beer or wine. Visitors who would like to experience a traditional Iftar meal should put all thoughts of a cold Sakara out of their mind until they return to the hotel.
Inside the hotel, life continues as normal with food and drink all day. Towards the end of the day, the service might seem a little slower and the smiles not quite so broad, but going without food and water for 15 hours is enough to strain even the happiest of hearts. Smokers will understand how hard it is to go a few hours on a flight without a cigarette so surviving the whole day without a smoke is positively heroic.
Ramadan comes to a close at the end of July with a huge party; Eid al Fitr is the biggest feast of the year and everyone has fun. Presents are exchanged, the kids get sweets and the beautiful lanterns light up the streets and homes as everyone celebrates. The highly decorative lanterns originate from the Egyptian Fatmid Caliphate over 1000 years ago. Along with traditional lamp shapes, stars and crescents make up the beautiful displays in homes, hotels, malls and mosques.
The celebrations start after sunset prayers on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar and often last for many days. The feast is like Christmas, New Year and Birthdays all rolled into one and everyone takes the opportunity to take a break, visit relatives and of course eat. There are lots of traditional sweet treats, cakes and nuts laced with enough honey and sugar to make a diabetic quiver at the mere thought. These delicious snacks can be found in shops and supermarkets and make great gifts for anyone with a sweet-tooth.
Ramadan Kareem
Tags:life, new, night, water
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