CAIRO- As the Muslim's holy month of Ramadan falls on Wednesday, Hassan Ali, a 35-year-old Egyptian man tours the El-Sayyeda Zeinab area of Cairo's old town to find his little son a suitable lantern. In Egypt, Fanoos (the Arabic word for lantern) is a decoration used during Ramadan, which was first seen during the Fatimid era ( 909-1171 A.D.). Besides, Egyptians have other unique ways to celebrate the occasion, the ninth month in the Muslim lunar calendar, when Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk. Some of the celebrations are not directly related to religions. During the whole month, one can see all mosques and streets in Egypt decorated with lanterns of various shapes and colors, reflecting a strong festival atmosphere. In the past, children played with lanterns in the streets while singing "wahawy ya wahawy", which is still practiced, but rarely, in nowadays. Currently, there are both Chinese-made lanterns and traditional Egyptian ones in Egypt, which are in sizzling competition. Children prefer the plastic Chinese lanterns because they have different colors and shapes, and some of them can even play music. "My four-year-old son, Ahmed, likes Chinese lanterns as they play his favorite songs," Hassan, the father, said. While Egypt's elders like local Egyptian lanterns which are made of metal and glass of bright colors. They hang them in their balconies and in front of the doors.
