Ramadan Traditions

[Henia 11]

Got this idea from Bridget's Fannous in the other thread ... so what are some of your SO's Ramadan traditions (mostly interested in the ones that have nothing to do with Islam but others welcome too!) ... Happy Ramadan everyone ... it is just around the corner!

Algeria - Obviously as many other MENA countries new clothes are bought for the children to wear on Eid ... but here new clothes, sexy sexy disco style ones are bought for the wives! Just love to see my in-laws all dolled up ... parading around in front of everyone!

Days, maybe even weeks before Eid day ... small cakes are prepared ... the fancier the better they say here ... then a cake exchange is done on Eid with neighbours, family and friends. I usually end up making about 6-8 dozen cakes, not all of which are traditional Algerian ... but i end up giving them all away ... but getting back about 10 or more dozen! We eat them until they go stale or we get sick (4 days max) then they go to the trash! What a waste huh? I tried freezing them but doesn't work. And you can't even give them away after Eid LOL!

Merchants also take Ramadan to heart when they set their unlawful prices ... potatoes went from being 17DA per kg 2 weeks ago to now being 50DA!

Also weeks leading up to Ramadan, hurry to circumcise boys ... I have no idea why?!

Children who fast for first time get little gifts. Ad everyone seems to wear their traditional garb! I love seeing the little boys in their hats and tails!

A big clean out is done in the homes, washing everything ... taking out the good china to eat in ... many new items are bought like dishes, tables, tables coverings, etc. Again the gaudier the better here!

Many more pious families volunteer at the masjid to wash the rugs that they lay out for Tarawee ... make up iftars schedules for feeding some of the poor also.

Traditional sweets like Kalb el Louz, Baklava and Zalabiya can be smelled from every street! MMmm sure makes you wanna fast LOL!

[Sandrila 1]

I dont know much for my husband's Ramadan traditions in Morocco

but from what I have seen my time there during Ramadan was alot of Harira and lots of special sweets (like and something oh I forget what it is called but it is all ground up, brown and sweet

oh the name

but it is nice you eat it with a spoon and i dont see it often IF ANYONE KNOWS THE NAME PLEASE

aside from ramadan foods

things i like are

basteeya and chabeckai

i thought that BAKLAVA was a GREEK sweet

[Tunisia216 2]

Are you talking about shamiya? I think it's also called halwa?

Here is this it ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halva

I don't know about Morocco, but this is a really popular thing in Tunis, usually eaten by packing it inside of the dates... and you can buy it here if this is what you are talking about. There are several stores in DE and PA where you can buy it for rather cheap. I love it too!!

I dont know much for my husband's Ramadan traditions in Morocco

but from what I have seen my time there during Ramadan was alot of Harira and lots of special sweets (like and something oh I forget what it is called but it is all ground up, brown and sweet

oh the name

but it is nice you eat it with a spoon and i dont see it often IF ANYONE KNOWS THE NAME PLEASE

aside from ramadan foods

things i like are

basteeya and chabeckai

i thought that BAKLAVA was a GREEK sweet

Many groups claim Baklava as their own. However, a check of the history of baklava yields surprising results. It is widely believed that it is of Assyrian origin. Around approximately the 8th century B.C., Assyrians baked thin layers of dough with nuts, poured honey over it, and enjoyed this sumptuous treat.

Baklava was baked only on special occasions, usually by the rich who could afford such a luxury.

The history of Baklava changed with the history of the land. The Near and Middle East saw many civilizations come and go. Baklava and the recipe had spread to the Near East, Armenia, and Turkey. With the advent of the Grecian Empire, it spread westward to Greece.

Phyllo dough is named after the greek word for "leaf", being "as thin as a leaf". The thickness (or for that matter, the thinness) of Phyllo gives baklava is delicious crispy taste. So, when some people eat a piece of baklava,they may want to think of Greece. However, the history of baklava reveals it came from farther East... Even so, various countries offer tasty variations and have loyal followings.

* Ask the Greeks and they will say: "The Lebanese stole the recipe."

* Ask the Lebanese and they will say: "The Greeks stole the recipe."

* Ask the Turkish and they will say: "Our Pashas and Viziers (rulers) owned the recipe"

* Ask Armenians and they will say: "We invented and improved the recipe" (with spices)

* Ask all of them and they will say: "Our baklava is better than all the rest" and "Our pronounciation is the correct pronounciation of the word Baklava."

The history of baklava - as colorful as the history of the lands of the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

Bon Appetit!

i thought that BAKLAVA was a GREEK sweet[/color]

[Tunisia216 2]

If that was what you were talking about and you don't want to buy it at the store .... Here's a site that gives some info about it and recipes to make various kinds at home... I prefer eating it with a spoon too and some cold milk but you can do tons of things with it...

http://womenslens.blogspot.com/2008/06/hal...et-weekend.html

[Sandrila 1]

ash

this sweet thing halwa...this is what they stuff the dates with??? mmm mmm love that

but this thing I talk about it different

it is brown and crumbled...omg the name the name..but anyway you eat it with a spoon, yes

it almost looks like coffee grounds....they put it in a bowl and you scoop it out in little bites

omg i dunno but i am curious...do you work...lol

you post so much and so quick too....i dont know how you retrieve your information so quickly

oh i posted before cuz you were talking about one place in NJ...and i wondered if that was a small arab community or something...well they have ADISON NJ, which is the Indian equivilent...if you go to that place in NJ, count me in,

i would love to go and meet you too

[Tunisia216 2]

Yes I work I just happen to be working at a computer

Yes I replied to that post, I'm not sure if you saw it? But Nawal and I were talking about Paterson, NJ which is a small arab community and the next time I go I will be sure to get up with you if you want to go!!!

ash

this sweet thing halwa...this is what they stuff the dates with??? mmm mmm love that

but this thing I talk about it different

it is brown and crumbled...omg the name the name..but anyway you eat it with a spoon, yes

it almost looks like coffee grounds....they put it in a bowl and you scoop it out in little bites

omg i dunno but i am curious...do you work...lol

you post so much and so quick too....i dont know how you retrieve your information so quickly

oh i posted before cuz you were talking about one place in NJ...and i wondered if that was a small arab community or something...well they have ADISON NJ, which is the Indian equivilent...if you go to that place in NJ, count me in,

i would love to go and meet you too

[Sandrila 1]

ASH i want to go

where does NAWAL live?

try to give me notice as early as possible

how old is your son??? can i bring my daughter if i have to ?? she is 9

lemme know

cant wait!

[Tunisia216 2]

Nawal is on the west coast But I am trying to drag her butt back home to the East!!!

I don't have a trip planned but I was hoping to go up soon! Sure, if we go, bring kids, not a problem! There is another VJ MENA girl in Delaware so maybe we can get something together to all meet up there! I think it would be a blast!

Wohooo I can't wait

ASH i want to go

where does NAWAL live?

try to give me notice as early as possible

how old is your son??? can i bring my daughter if i have to ?? she is 9

lemme know

cant wait!

[Leyla 0]

I dont know much for my husband's Ramadan traditions in Morocco

but from what I have seen my time there during Ramadan was alot of Harira and lots of special sweets (like and something oh I forget what it is called but it is all ground up, brown and sweet

oh the name

but it is nice you eat it with a spoon and i dont see it often IF ANYONE KNOWS THE NAME PLEASE

aside from ramadan foods

things i like are

basteeya and chabeckai

i thought that BAKLAVA was a GREEK sweet

It's totally shebekiya Everytime I see anyone from his family I get a tupperware FULL of shebekiya! It's alright but I can't eat it all the time. It's like a sugar coma!

[caybee 21]

I dont know much for my husband's Ramadan traditions in Morocco

but from what I have seen my time there during Ramadan was alot of Harira and lots of special sweets (like and something oh I forget what it is called but it is all ground up, brown and sweet

oh the name

but it is nice you eat it with a spoon and i dont see it often IF ANYONE KNOWS THE NAME PLEASE

aside from ramadan foods

things i like are

basteeya and chabeckai

i thought that BAKLAVA was a GREEK sweet

It's totally shebekiya Everytime I see anyone from his family I get a tupperware FULL of shebekiya! It's alright but I can't eat it all the time. It's like a sugar coma!

There ya go. Glad you asked about this, sandrila. I recognized the description (my MIL sent me home with a tub of it) but I couldn't remember the name at all. Now to find a recipe...unless someone here could oblige...

I may have said this before, but at Ramadan, my husband likes melwi that's been sort of deep fried, soaked with honey, drained, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Makes my teeth itch to think about it.

If my husband works this weekend, I'll scour the recipe thread and try to get some baking done. Maybe.

Edited August 27, 2008 by caybee

[Sandrila 1]

are melwi and shebekiya the same thing?

it's funny how everybody spells things slightly different

everywhere i look online from cooking to music or street names, everytime i see it, it has a slightly different spellingw

what up with that?

[Tunisia216 2]

Most of the time it's because they are arabic words being written by English... meaning they are being written by "how they sound" phonetically - They'd look the same way written in arabic, but transcribed to English it's written the way the speaker/writer, etc sounds them out.. I hope that made sense.. Sorry crazy work day and my brain doesn't want to function well....

Example: el hamdouallah alhamduiallah (same thing, spelled different)

Example : Mabrook Mabrouk (again same, different spelling )

Example : inshallah incha allah ensha'allah (all same, spelled different)

these are poor examples, but I'm just trying to show you what I mean

are melwi and shebekiya the same thing?

it's funny how everybody spells things slightly different

everywhere i look online from cooking to music or street names, everytime i see it, it has a slightly different spellingw

what up with that?

[doodlebugg 10]

I need help. If you click on the link and scroll down to the summer time lights which hanging lanterns would be best for RAmadan? http://www.partycity.com/cgi-bin/search/search_286.cgi

Oh and we just bought a big bucket of halawa...it's a sesame thing and it's super sweet. I don't personally like the kind we got (chocolate) but the kind I like has pistacios in it and my daughter has a severe nut allergy so that's a no go.

[Jenn! 918]

Chabakiya are these things:

I know exactly what sandrila is talking about - Wadi eats it often, not only at Ramadan. I can't remember what it's called, but I'll ask him. It pretty much looks like dark brown sugar in texture. I don't care for it at all - very dry.

[Tunisia216 2]

I had to use the search function, at first I got Halloween lights Pretty I guess but not too cute for Ramadan

I like the pink lanterns but that's just because I'm obsessed with pink lol The round lantern light set is cute and festive though.

I love halawa (we call it shamiya ) but it's really good - He'll take the shamiya and butter and pack it inside dates and put in the freezer until it's super cold....

I need help. If you click on the link and scroll down to the summer time lights which hanging lanterns would be best for RAmadan? http://www.partycity.com/cgi-bin/search/search_286.cgi

Oh and we just bought a big bucket of halawa...it's a sesame thing and it's super sweet. I don't personally like the kind we got (chocolate) but the kind I like has pistacios in it and my daughter has a severe nut allergy so that's a no go.