The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So its Ramadan and something is different in the air here in Cairo. September 1st is Ramadan 1st this year, pretty convenient. The time went back an hour this weekend, the weather is cooler with fluffy clouds, tiny Christmasesque lights, metallic paper, and Fanawes (Ramadan lamps) of various sizes are strung across all the narrow streets, and the mood of the entire city has slowed down, sombred and lightened at the same time.

Never have I loved Islam so much as during Ramadan.

Yesterday I stepped out of my apartment, feeling brave and a little rebellious after my weekend escape so wearing my tighter jeans AND my hair down. Let them stare, I'm thinking, I will not apologize for looking slightly more attractive than a sack. I don my sunglasses, clench my teeth and start down the street. What is this? No one says a single thing all the seven minutes walk to the metro, in the metro and from the metro to work. What is up? Oh ya! Its Ramadan!!!! While I have become used to averting my gaze to the ground whenever a man is approaching, today I look straight ahead, and the men quickly look at their feet. Ramadan Kareem gidan! (Ramadan is very very generous!)

In the Metro the number of women reading their Qur'an has probably tripled, in the streets the number of gallibeyas (religious robes for men) has probably also tripled. A few fainting (halfway or completely) casualties have been spotted, with multiple people helping them out. I am working approximately 16 hours /week this month (and that's with my school basically forcing some students to stay) with free food and the same salary because the entire schedule of the country is rearranged. However, as Amr says, we must keep working or the world will think Arabs and Muslims are lazy people.


A little information I've picked up about Ramadan:

Why Ramadan?

On an unknown day during this month about 14oo years ago, Mohammed received the first revelation. Now, every year the angels come down to earth on this same day, and every Muslim's prayer is heard and attended toby these angels on this day. However, no one knows exactly what day it is, so you must pray as much as possible the whole month in order to catch it.

What is Ramadan?

The holiest month in Islam. All Muslims are given this month as a gift. It is a reminder of your dependence on God for all things and all life, it is a chance for all your good deeds to provide 70 times the "bonus" you store up for the day of judgment, and some say bad deeds are also 70 times as bad.

What do you do during Ramadan?

If you're a pious Muslim:

You celebrate your religion and your family. You fast during the day from food and water but after sunset eat a ridiculous amount, especially sweets. You eat so much that the prices for food almost double because of the rules of supply and demand. If you are rich you supply gigantic tables with iftar (the breaking fast meal) in the middle of the street for any poor person to partake of. This entire month you purify yourself from sin of all kind. You are not permitted to lust, be angry, drink, hurt anyone, or do anything else that might dramatically decrease your credit for judgment day. You have to help those around you by providing for their needs in whatever way you can. You remember how generous God is to you. At night you stay up until perhaps morning prayer eating and enjoying your family and friends and full stomach. You never complain about fasting, or even admit that its really difficult.

If you are a Christian or not pious Muslim:

You sneak your food and water during the day whenever Muslims aren't looking, and never on the street or metro or public place. No matter how thirsty or hungry you get, it can't be as bad as the people who haven't had anything since sunrise, just wait till you get home. You complain about the high prices of food, the fact that most restaurants are closed during the day, and the children throwing fire crackers at you. You revel in the good behavior and calm of the day time and either enjoy or hate the craziness of night time. You are invited to iftar meals at least 4 times a week, you are given tiny cheap light up fanus keychains.

American Christmas or Easter vs. Egyptian Ramadan:

Ramadan here is very much like Christmas in America (the month of festivities and decoration, the better behavior, increased generosity, a religious holiday, a new array of special holiday foods, particularly sweets). However, the differences are also great. Christmas in America has largely lost its religious meaning. While it supposedly increases good will and community (although actually is a highly suicidal time of year statistically), it often is not particularly oriented towards remembering God or Christ. Ramadan here on the other hand holds onto its religious meaning quite heavily. You fast and you pray and you do good deeds to remember God. The fasting is a little like Lent in America (with people who observe Lent before Easter), and evidently there is always the problem of fasting for the right reasons in both of these circumstances. Basically Ramadan is the religious holiday of all religious holidays.

So Ramadan Kareem! (this literally means Ramadan is generous, but its like saying Happy Ramadan) I wish you could all see it.