Cairo's unique Ramadan traditions

Dubai: Egypt's middle and low income families, forming around 95 per cent of population, start their preparations for Ramadan as early as two to three months before the commencement of the month.

So, there is no wonder that Ramadan, especially in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, is unique in every aspect.

The secret in early preparations for Ramadan, as Mohammad Ali, sociologist and economic expert, says: Egyptians are not prepared, from a mental point of view, to accept any sacrifice in their deep-rooted traditions in Ramadan.

The fact that each of their Ramadan traditions is so sacred to them and requires a special budget means that a family has to start saving money much ahead of the holy month in order to use it during the month.

Interactive: All you need to know about Ramadan

Yameesh, for instance, is a must in Ramadan. No family would accept breaking the fast without yameesh on the table.

Yameesh is the local name of a variety of nuts imported from Syria and other Levant countries to which is incorporated in Egyptian recipes during Ramadan.

"Yameesh is getting more expensive by the year, but this does not deter an Egyptian family from buying it. In my opinion, yameesh has become a must during Ramadan, an item which would not be dropped from the menu because of budget constraints.

"The head of the family has to do whatever possible to bring Yameesh at least a week before the start of Ramadan to make sure that every member in the family is happy to fast," he said.

Read in-depth report on Ramadan

Many other traditions have become synonymous with Ramadan although they have nothing to do with the true rituals of fasting.

One of these traditions is the 'lanterns of Ramadan' - Fanoos Ramadan. The lantern is used to encourage the participation of children in the celebrations during Ramadan.

Parents used to buy children lanterns to go around the streets and alleys of old Cairo during the night in Ramadan.

The tradition, which was promoted by the craftsmen of the famous Khan Al Khalili more than 1,000 years back to enhance their businesses during the holy month, has become a regular during Ramadan these days.

The lanterns, which are traditionally made of brass and decorated glass and lit with a candle, have gone through changes recently and now operate on batteries.

The lantern is widely used these days by children to an extent that local production of the handicraft has become insufficient to fulfil local demand.

Lanterns imported from countries as far as China now find their way to markets in Cairo and other Egyptian cities to cater to the growing demand.

Lanterns these days, especially the imported ones, are equipped with digital sound and memory systems that play traditional songs.

Lanterns nowadays came in different sizes and shapes that vary from 130cm to 10cm in size while they are designed in various shapes such as the Parliament Lantern (a replica of the Lantern at the Parliament House) to children's favourite characters from local cartoon series such as Inspector Corombo.

The imported and local production of lanterns is kept in stock at least a couple of weeks ahead of Ramadan. They are available in stores from the first week of Ramadan.

Lanterns are sold at prices varying from 35 Egyptian pounds (Dh25) to 1,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh715), an expenditure that requires a special budget for middle and low income group families.

The Feast of the Merciful, known as Mawa'id Al Rahman, is another tradition that thrives in Egypt during Ramadan and has spread to all Islamic countries.

This feast is prepared by the wealthy to feed the poor and needy during iftar.

Even those who don't follow the teachings of Islam strictly, such as belly dancers and artists, are involved in financing and operating the Feast of Merciful. They believe by doing this, they will cleanse the sins they have committed throughout the year.

Thousands of Egyptians take part in iftar in the Feast of Merciful organised throughout Cairo and other major cities of the country.

Warnings and health advice issued by Egypt's Ministry of Health to avoid gatherings in Ramadan tents and the Feast of the Merciful during the holy month have failed to stop people from taking part in Ramadan traditions.

People are still seen gathering every night in the crowded cafés around Al Hussain Mosque area and the old town in Cairo despite the threat posed by swine flu, in which people are warned to keep away from crowded places.