The prosperous Ramadan atmosphere in Lebanon/ This month is the month of solidarity with Gaza

Mehr News, International Group: The holy month of Ramadan is considered one of the most important months in Islamic countries, including Arab countries, and in each of these countries, people welcome it with special customs. The month of Ramadan goes and each of them has traditions for this month that are different from each other.

Welcoming Ramadan

Lebanon is one of these Arab countries where Muslims prepare for the month of Ramadan with special enthusiasm, and even the rituals of this month are attractive for followers of other religions, including Christians. Is. Lights in the shape of a crescent moon on the streets of Lebanon promise the arrival of Ramadan.

In an interesting ceremony, Lebanese Muslims go to the beach on the last night of the month of Shaban and celebrate the coming of Ramadan. In this celebration called “Ramadan dinner”, people cook very delicious traditional foods and all kinds of sweets, and this is how they welcome the month of God.

Also, a few days before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, various companies and institutions give special calendars for the holy month of Ramadan, which include prayer and iftar times, as a gift to their customers. They give.

increasing charitable activities and helping the needy

One ​​of the customs that is very noticeable with the beginning of Ramadan in Lebanon is the increase in humanitarian activities and charitable associations show their presence and role in supporting the poor. They double the deprived and until the end of the holy month of Ramadan, livelihood packages are distributed among the needy in villages and cities.

Zakat and alms of the people in this month reach the needy directly or through charity associations.

Holding congregational prayers in mosques

In Lebanon, Muslims perform their prayers in the month of Ramadan usually in groups in mosques, and these mosques are decorated and illuminated a few days before the start of the holy month. be.

One ​​of the remarkable and beautiful scenes in the month of Ramadan in Lebanon is the empty streets and alleys during breakfast and lunch and in the afternoon around the time of breaking the fast. The streets are filled with people buying food. Mashrati, or waking up the fasting people to have breakfast, is another old custom of the Lebanese people, which still remains in some areas.

Enthusiasm of fasting people for Iftar

Lebanon people have special bread and sweets for iftar meals, such as rabij, halawah al-chezab, hadaf, etc. Also fresh juices can be found in packaged form in stores.

Another remarkable custom of the Lebanese during Ramadan, which may be familiar to the people of our country, is that in different neighborhoods, usually a person starts walking in the morning at dawn. He walks the streets to wake people up for dawn. This person goes to the streets and alleys with a drum and sings special poems and hymns, and when people hear his voice, they realize that it is dawn.

Taraweeh prayer

The most important thing that Lebanese Muslims do in this month is that they pray Taraweeh every day after the Isha prayer throughout the month of Ramadan. The Taraweeh prayer is performed after the Isha prayer, and in it the worshipers recite a part of the Holy Quran every night so that they have completed the Quran at the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Setting up iftar tables

Establishing iftar tables especially in deprived neighborhoods by benefactors is one of the favorite customs of Lebanese Muslims, in which benefactors and ordinary people who intend to share in the reward of this divine feast They will help as much as they can to set up this table, and these tables will be open until the end of the holy month.

Cannon firing to announce the beginning and end of Ramadan

Among other Lebanese customs in Ramadan, we can mention the “top” custom, which is prevalent in major Lebanese cities such as Beirut and Tripoli. This is an old tradition in Lebanon, whose roots go back to the Ottoman period, and it has become obsolete in some areas, but it is still practiced in some cities; In this way, 3 shots are fired on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan and also on Eid al-Fitr. Also, in some areas, bullets are still fired during Suhoor and Iftar.

Organizing Quranic competitions

The holding of Quran competitions is one of the religious activities carried out by the Islamic associations of this country, during which reciters from different Arab and Islamic countries compete in the memorization and recitation of the Holy Quran. They participate.

Offering iftar to the people on the side of the street, which is similar to the Iranian offering, is another lovely and beautiful tradition of the Lebanese during the holy month of Ramadan, and some people prepare They make iftar packages and offer them to passers-by on the side of the street.

The market of food, vegetables, fruits, sweets, fruit juices, dates and nuts (almonds, walnuts and pistachios) flourishes in Lebanon during the holy month of Ramadan. “Keba” is one of the most famous Lebanese dishes in the month of Ramadan, which is prepared for the Iftar meal. This dish is a combination of rice and minced meat and special Lebanese spices and has a very delicious taste.

Solidarity with the people of Gaza

Even during the past few years when the people of Lebanon are struggling with their worst economic crisis, these religious customs and traditions are still standing and Muslims are trying as much as possible. replace them. Especially in the month of Ramadan, more solidarity is done with the deprived classes, and the needy are given more attention in this month than in other months.

We should not forget that Ramadan this year, in the shadow of the brutal war that the Zionist occupation regime has launched against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, is for the Arab and Islamic nations. It has a different mood, and in this month they consider themselves closer to the hungry and thirsty people of Gaza and carry out activities such as holding weekly demonstrations every Friday with the aim of supporting the people of Gaza and expressing their hatred and disgust for the Zionist occupation. In Lebanon, on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, “Nabieh Bari”, the Speaker of the Parliament of this country, asked all the people of Lebanon, as well as the Muslims of the world, to make this month the month of solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian nation.