Sunday, 6 July 2014

Fanoos Ramadan


‘Fanoos Ramadan’ is what every Egyptian child looked forward to before the holy month of Ramadan. Although I have never lived in Egypt, yet I was lucky to witness Ramadan during one of my school vacations back in the days and saw the various symbols and decorations filling the streets of Cairo. From the cheapest made-in-China plastic lanterns to the carefully handcrafted traditional metal lanterns, Ramadan is not the same without the presence of a Fanoos.


The Fanoos became a symbol for Ramadan across the whole world, check the latest Ramadan greeting card, turn on the TV, flip through a magazine, and I can assure you’ll find the symbol...Being in Dubai, the diverse and multicultural city, I knew there was no way this city would miss on bringing Ramadan lanterns to its residents! Couldn’t find the traditional ones yet, but there are some that will serve the need. 

 

There are several stories about the history of Lanterns and its association with Ramadan, here’s a very interesting article that I came across to sum it all up. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ramadanlanterns.htm

Watch more about the authentic Ramadan Fanoos here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrG-5PHI77g

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