Egyptians enjoy the Ramadan they know

CAIRO－With pandemic restrictions on gatherings and group prayers lifted in Egypt for the first time in two years, Muslims in the North African country this year are enjoying a more joyful Ramadan, the holy Islamic month of fasting.

A few days before Ramadan began on April 2 in Egypt, the government lifted a ban on Ramadan charity banquets and prayers.

The decision was announced after the number of deaths caused by COVID-19 in late March stayed below 10 on a weekly average, according to the Egyptian Health Ministry's data.

Mosques are now allowed to open their annex event halls for worship activities such as optional evening Taraweeh prayers. Shops, restaurants, and cafes are permitted to remain open until 2 am time during the holy month.

"Ramadan, this year, is completely different," said Nasr Abdo, a 54-year-old taxi driver.

"I bought decorative hanging lights in the shape of crescents, stars, and lanterns and spent good time with my children on sticking them on the house's windows and balconies," he said.

As part of the celebrations, many people rushed to city squares and streets to set up tables to share homemade charity meals with strangers, especially the less fortunate ones.

"I'm blissfully happy to cook hot dinners for a large number of people," said Othman Mostafa, a 64-year-old contractor, while laying out the tables and chairs in a small decorated tent in the Al-Haram district in Giza Province near the capital Cairo.

"Hosting people for a group Iftar is something that I missed during the last two years," said Mostafa, referring to the fast-breaking dinner during Ramadan.

Keeping up traditions

Many homeless and poor people came to enjoy the Ramadan meals offered on a 40-meter-long table set up by Mostafa, who had offered such charity Iftar dinners for 15 years before the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

In the past two years when large gatherings were banned, Mostafa handed out prepackaged meals at a dispensary to the needy in his neighborhood as a way to continue the charity tradition. This Ramadan, Mostafa started the preparations in the early afternoon every day to cook about 200 meals, which consist of beef or chicken, vegetables, rice, dates and juice.

Mostafa has hired a chef and six assistants to cook the meals. Ahmad Byoumy, the 44-year-old chef, said serving food for the poor has been "a quintessential feature of Ramadan in Egypt for a long time".

"This is the month of love, affections and good deeds," said Byoumy, adding that he cooked the meals with different flavors.

Despite the eased quarantine measures, the Egyptian government stressed that the traditional food-sharing events should keep away from main streets and with a reduced capacity.

Ahmad Assem, a server at another charity banquet in a side street in the Al-Haram district, said he divided people into groups to ensure social distancing.

"Seeing the happiness and satisfaction on their faces are the favorite part of my job," Assem said.

Xinhua