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

Scatter Those Cushions

Whether you’re gonna use them to cuddle, sit/sleep comfortably or for decoration, Cushions are essential must-haves in every home. When decorating, adding cushions is a quick and inexpensive way to alter the mood and style of your home (you can change them seasonally as well for a diff. feel)

If your house's main furniture is plain (Let’s say white) and you want to spice it up a little, start by adding colored or patterned cushions and small decorative pieces that complement the colors of the cushion and revitalize the space.        

Obviously if you check furniture shops in Dubai, you’ll catch a collection of cushions in various materials, shapes and colors, But I came across a Chinese website www.aliexpress.com that feature an incredible collection of cushions in retro, vintage, modern and oriental designs and my favorite part was, they’re all priced at a maximum of 26$! That’s less than 200 AED! Some are even at 10$! Below are some of my favorite… Oh, and they ship to the UAE!