Ramadan Traditions

[Nothing1234 2]

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.

Bridget....they typically use any lights in many areas of Egypt. A large fanoos and then the homes have their individual lights. You can pick the summer time lights one or Round Lantern Light Set is cute too. I have seen people even just put up single light bulbs in a row on a string! LOL So there is not "set" standard...make your own tradition!

[Sandrila 1]

jenn if you find the name let me know

and yes that is Shebekiya....or however you spell it and it is not just for ramadan....i eat so much of those dang things

but it is really on the tip of my tongue, this other thing...and yes it is as dry as the country of morocco during ramadan

lol

ash

very good examples of what i mean

thanks

[Henia 11]

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?

Yes they are same. It is not really how they spelled phonetically buuut what each country and/or area calls them. Like here where I live they are called griwech. And msemen is called ma'arek here.

[Tunisia216 2]

ITA! Nawal is right.. The things they put out, go from so incredibly gorgeous to OMGawd-Gaudy lol I was thinking though some cheap strings of white christmas style lights and mixing in your lanterns and more colorful things could really look beautiful! I have never seen a string of single light bulbs but I have seen some out right crazy things... think mardi gras in MENA lol

More for starting your own traditions!!!!

Bridget....they typically use any lights in many areas of Egypt. A large fanoos and then the homes have their individual lights. You can pick the summer time lights one or Round Lantern Light Set is cute too. I have seen people even just put up single light bulbs in a row on a string! LOL So there is not "set" standard...make your own tradition!

[doodlebugg 10]

cool now I'm excited!!! Since hubby has to work all weekend I'm gonna suprise him and put them up on Saturday so they're all done when he comes home!!!!

[Tunisia216 2]

Pictures PLEASE!!!!!

cool now I'm excited!!! Since hubby has to work all weekend I'm gonna suprise him and put them up on Saturday so they're all done when he comes home!!!!

[Henia 11]

oops sorry just asked, correction:

No, they are not the same. shebekiya is called girwech where I live. And these words are not really how they spelled phonetically buuut what each country and/or area calls them. Melwi (or also msemem) is called ma'arek here. Also M'samen, Mcha'hed, M3akra, Msemnet...)

[Tunisia216 2]

I understand what you are saying... different places calling things by a different name... like helawa in Tunis is called shamiya or even within Tunisia different towns call things by different names.. But I just thought she meant researching online and finding things spelled differently, because she noted food, cooking, music, etc Sorry if I misread

oops sorry just asked, correction:

No, they are not the same. shebekiya is called girwech where I live. And these words are not really how they spelled phonetically buuut what each country and/or area calls them. Melwi (or also msemem) is called ma'arek here. Also M'samen, Mcha'hed, M3akra, Msemnet...)

[Nothing1234 2]

Totally need pictures!!

Pictures PLEASE!!!!!

cool now I'm excited!!! Since hubby has to work all weekend I'm gonna suprise him and put them up on Saturday so they're all done when he comes home!!!!

[Henia 11]

I understand what you are saying... different places calling things by a different name... like helawa in Tunis is called shamiya or even within Tunisia different towns call things by different names.. But I just thought she meant researching online and finding things spelled differently, because she noted food, cooking, music, etc Sorry if I misread

oops sorry just asked, correction:

No, they are not the same. shebekiya is called girwech where I live. And these words are not really how they spelled phonetically buuut what each country and/or area calls them. Melwi (or also msemem) is called ma'arek here. Also M'samen, Mcha'hed, M3akra, Msemnet...)

Heloua? Helwua? LOL here those are the turk heluwa! That ground sesame dessert thing they sell in tubs! Yuk! Anyway, it's all good! Labess aleik!

[Jenn! 918]

sandrila,

Wadi says the crumbly stuff is called either sfoof or zameta (not sure if I spelled either even remotely correctly!).

Edited August 27, 2008 by Jenn!

[UmmSqueakster 54]

The husband has imported exactly 0 ramadan traditions from backhomelandia. He's a workaholic, so in the past, he's either been studying or working through the more traditional egyptian activities of massive iftars, sitting around and watching soap operas and going out until the wee hours of the morning.

So, I've created my own ramadan traditions.

1. Holiday lights. After a certain holiday that takes place at the end of december, there are a ton of twinkly lights that are 75% off. I stock up, and string them around the apartment for ramadan. Of course, it doesn't help that we're both lazy, and the ligths have taken up permenant residence on our walls. I guess once Ramadan rolls around, all we'll have to do is plug them in.

2. Spend half an hour doing something deen (religion) related together. This could be reading the Qur'an, listening to a lecture or discussing a book we've read. In the past, the husband has wanted me to practice getting up and giving a khutbah extemporaneously. I'm not very good at speaking without preparing anything in advance though, so it usually involved a lot of stuttering on my part. Maybe this year I'll do some advanced legwork and suprise him.

3. Going to iftar at the masjid on the weekends. It's nice to break your fast with other people.

4. Taraweeh. The husband doesn't like taraweeh in the masjid (he thinks its a bida, which it technically is. The Prophet (saws) rarely prayed this prayer in congregation. Howeva. Umar (ra) gathered everyone together to pray at the masjid, so for me, this falls in the bida hasana, or good innovation category). So, inshaAllah I'm going to leave him at home and pray at the masjid all by myself.

5. Lanterns. I think I'm going to buy some lanterns this year. Not traditional egyptian ones, but funky paper ones, kind of a blending of egyptian and american cultures.

I'm thinking some of these:

http://www.paperlanternstore.com/starlamps.html

[Tunisia216 2]

rani labes el hamdouallah chokoran.... inti? labas ali3k? incha allah barcha labes inti

Heloua? Helwua? LOL here those are the turk heluwa! That ground sesame dessert thing they sell in tubs! Yuk! Anyway, it's all good! Labess aleik!

[Tunisia216 2]

Just for you Henia... A picture I took in the monoprix cuz i know you love it so much Kidding!

And yes I walk around the monoprix taking pictures like a big dork of all the things I miss when I'm away

rani labes el hamdouallah chokoran.... inti? labas ali3k? incha allah barcha labes inti

Heloua? Helwua? LOL here those are the turk heluwa! That ground sesame dessert thing they sell in tubs! Yuk! Anyway, it's all good! Labess aleik!

[doodlebugg 10]

The husband has imported exactly 0 ramadan traditions from backhomelandia. He's a workaholic, so in the past, he's either been studying or working through the more traditional egyptian activities of massive iftars, sitting around and watching soap operas and going out until the wee hours of the morning.

So, I've created my own ramadan traditions.

1. Holiday lights. After a certain holiday that takes place at the end of december, there are a ton of twinkly lights that are 75% off. I stock up, and string them around the apartment for ramadan. Of course, it doesn't help that we're both lazy, and the ligths have taken up permenant residence on our walls. I guess once Ramadan rolls around, all we'll have to do is plug them in.

2. Spend half an hour doing something deen (religion) related together. This could be reading the Qur'an, listening to a lecture or discussing a book we've read. In the past, the husband has wanted me to practice getting up and giving a khutbah extemporaneously. I'm not very good at speaking without preparing anything in advance though, so it usually involved a lot of stuttering on my part. Maybe this year I'll do some advanced legwork and suprise him.

3. Going to iftar at the masjid on the weekends. It's nice to break your fast with other people.

4. Taraweeh. The husband doesn't like taraweeh in the masjid (he thinks its a bida, which it technically is. The Prophet (saws) rarely prayed this prayer in congregation. Howeva. Umar (ra) gathered everyone together to pray at the masjid, so for me, this falls in the bida hasana, or good innovation category). So, inshaAllah I'm going to leave him at home and pray at the masjid all by myself.

5. Lanterns. I think I'm going to buy some lanterns this year. Not traditional egyptian ones, but funky paper ones, kind of a blending of egyptian and american cultures.

I'm thinking some of these:

http://www.paperlanternstore.com/starlamps.html

Do you still go to the Mall of America for Eid? I always thought that was a neat new tradition.