Egypt is getting ready

Egypt is dressing up. It's decorating its walls with bright patterned fabric, it's putting up lights in all colors, and it's looking forward. There is excitement in the air, people are buying more food then ever and there is something that everyone talking is about.


The most special time in the Muslim year is coming up in 2 days.
Ramadan.

Ramadan is the month of fasting, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar. Fasting is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and is considered the month of spirituality, charity and praying. The fasting people are not allowed to eat or drink from when the sun raises until it sets.
In the evenings, people get together, families gather and friends are invited to have the first meal of the day together, the iftar, that breaks the fast. It is usually a big home cooked dinner and everyone enjoys eating and being together.

I'm looking forward for Ramadan to start like a kid. I'm not sure how long I will manage to actually fast, but even if I don't manage, I'm looking forward for the atmosphere. What I have been told is that during Ramadan, everyone invites everyone to their homes, so it's especially cool for foreigners. :-) It's a very sociable time and people spend a lot of time with each other. The atmosphere is special and festive, for a whole month, the country is out of it's normal rhythm and everything is about enjoying Ramadan. During the day, apparently, there is not much happening, everything is very mellow, people go to sleep at around 3 in the afternoon. But then at night, people have iftar (the evening meal), they enjoy themselves and then they have sukuun (not sure how it's spelled) in the morning before the call for prayer at 5.

I don't know yet what Ramadan will really be like. But I can tell that the city feels different already now, and I'm excited. Very excited!

Something cool for you to check out if you want to get more of the Ramadan feeling wherever you are and see how different people in different countries experience the special month: "Blogging Ramadan" A blog where 13 young people all over the Arab world share their Ramadan Experience.