Alexandria in Egypt comes alive during Ramadan with fun, feasts and festivities Anna AbouZeid captures the spirit of Eid Al Fitr in Alexandria through words and pictures
From the moment I stepped off the aircraft and into the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, it was clear that although the Eid Al Fitr holiday was still three days away, Egyptians were already in the holiday spirit. Even the ordinarily stoic customs officer couldn't resist breaking into a huge smile as he wished me koli sana we enti tayeba, or season's greetings.
But there's an almost eerie hush on the streets during the fasting hours of Ramadan. You can drive to your destination in record time, without the usual honking of horns, loud music playing from taxi stereos and the traffic jams that characterise most Egyptian roads — which is something unusual for the city.
However, just before fitar (the Egyptian variation of iftar) — particularly in the days leading up to Eid Al Fitr — all that changes. The city wakes up and comes alive once again.
Lighting up the streets
As I drive down the corniche — the city's main road along the seaside — I see shopkeepers and café owners sweeping the sidewalks in front of their stores and pulling tables outside in preparation for the guests' arrival at sundown. Traditional Ramadan lanterns adorn the streets, hanging from trees and street lamps.
Making my way into the old-town market, my senses are captivated — by the sights, the sounds and especially the smells. Traditionally, Egyptians eat fish for the Eid Al Fitr feast. So as the first day approaches, fishmongers lay the day's catch over ice, waiting for those fasting to come and take their pick for the festival.
Once you hear the call to prayer ringing through the streets, you know it's time to end the fast and say prayers. But some people, maybe because they are stuck in traffic on their way home or do not have the money to prepare a fitar meal, rely on the generosity of neighbours to end their fast. Every neighbourhood has a corner where a well-to-do family sets up tables and chairs and provides a meal for the community to share. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor — all are welcome.
The hush in the streets during the fasting hours of Ramadan is in stark contrast to the activity inside the homes of Muslims on the days before Eid. Cleaning up and ensuring everything is in order to receive guests is essential. New clothes are purchased but stay neatly tucked away in the closet until the Shawaal. Parents make sure they have money, or eideya, to give children during Eid so they can buy their favourite toys.
Sweet specials
As in the rest of the Islamic world, special sweets are served during the feast. In the final days of Ramadan, shops start selling the special ingredients required for the konafa — a vermicelli-like pastry made in Egypt with ricotta cheese and honey — my favourite.
Egyptians also prepare katayef — small pancakes filled with chopped nuts, which are folded, fried and drizzled with honey, a perfect combination of crunchy, warm and sweet. Women spend days in the kitchen, preparing ghurayeba and kahk — a childhood favourite of mine — special Eid cookies filled with dates or nuts and tossed in powdered sugar — most delicious when dipped in a glass of hot, sweet tea.
I left Alexandria after the last fitar of Ramadan — but not without my eideya, two boxes of kahk and ghurayeba baked by my aunts and a sense of warmth and fulfilment.
This is the true spirit of the season.
