Preparations for the holy month are in full swing, writes Mona El-Fiqi Ramadan is a month in which hallowed traditions are honoured and the past seeps seamlessly into the present. Many of the most characteristic customs that will be on display in Egypt during the holy month date back to the Fatimid era, not least the fawanis, the charming Ramadan lantern, and the sweets, such as konafa and qatayef, that are so typical. To celebrate the month of Ramadan streets are decorated with bunting, and lanterns are strung from doorways and balconies. Weeks before Ramadan begins almost every street has a shop selling fawanis, which can cost anything between LE10 to more than LE200. "I bought a small fanous [singular of fawanis ] for LE20 for my child. I don't have money to buy the Korombo lantern [a Chinese-made fanous in the shape of a popular cartoon character] that is selling for LE70," said Rasha Mahmoud, a housewife. Abeer Anwar, who has three children, says she went to Al-Moski market only to return empty handed. "I found the Korombo fanous at LE50 but to buy three would have cost too much." Mohamed Gomaa, a seller of fawanis, sympathises with his customers. "I have cut the profit margin on the lanterns in the hope more people will buy but it is not working. LE70 is too much. I know I prefer myself to spend the money on buying two kilos of meat and my customers are the same," he says. There are many special foods associated with Ramadan, though yameesh, a mixture of dried fruit and nuts, is probably the most popular. Amina Mahmoud, a housewife and mother of two, told Al-Ahram Weekly that she had yet to buy yameesh ingredients since they are so expensive. "Though I set aside an extra budget for Ramadan I was disappointed by the high prices." Less than a week before Ramadan begins Gad Sayed Gad, a seller of dried dates, was still sitting in front of 20 full bags of the fruit. Gad complained that people simply lack the money to buy the traditional Ramadan delicacies. "Some families come to the market not to shop," he said, "but just to have a look." Gad sells dried dates at between LE5 and LE30 a kilo according to quality. During the month of Ramadan Egyptian families traditionally invite relatives to share the nightly breaking of the fast. The result is that demand increases, and with it the price of foodstuffs, which can increase by up to 10 per cent in the days before Ramadan begins. Mahmoud Abdel-Azim, the owner of a poultry shop in Heliopolis, reports increased demand despite fears over bird flu. To meet extra demand the government is making a variety of foodstuffs available, and at a discount. Last week Ali Meselhi, minister of social solidarity, opened a fair that will offer foodstuffs throughout the month. More than 500 items are being offered for sale at prices that are between 10 to 25 per cent less than private retail outlets. Salaheddin Ibrahim, manager of a branch of Family Market (a public sector cooperative based in Nasr City that is participating in the fair), reports an increase in demand at public sector outlets. They provide, he says, good quality products at lower prices. The Family Market outlet offers imported meat, chicken, cooking oil, butter, sugar, tea, rice and pasta at 25 per cent less than the market price. In cooperation with Nasr Social Bank the Ministry of Social Solidarity is also distributing Ramadan bags, containing a selection of foodstuffs, to the poor. This year it aims to distribute up to 1.5 million such parcels. Ramadan bags can also be purchased in upmarket supermarkets, where they are commonly bought by the wealthy to distribute among poorer families.
