Shahd Alhamdan

Saudi Gazette

 

For many Muslims, Ramadan is special since it is the month in which the Noble Quran was revealed. The different regions of the Kingdom have a tendency to celebrate the month in individual ways. The Ramadan of the Hijaz of today, however, is much different to how it was celebrated in bygone times. Here is a few differences.



1- Visiting Jeddah’s Corniche



In the past, many families in Jeddah used to take their children between Asar and Maghrib to the Corniche to ride beach buggies, horses and donkeys.



Children would play in the sand and build sandcastles. This used to be very common in the past. It, however, is no longer the case.



2- Al-Mesaharati



The Al-Mesaharati used to be a man who would roam the streets at Sahur time to wake people up. He would chant certain rhymes to ensure people rose for their pre-dawn meals.



The Al-Mesaharati is a feature of the past and we seldom find people doing this type of work nowadays, especially in the modern districts of urban Saudi cities.



3- Ramadan Cannon



People would often await the sound of cannon at sunset to signal that the time of Iftar. This was a hallmark of the Ramadan of the past.



The elderly would often sit on the balconies of their homes awaiting the sound of cannon. This feature, however, no longer exists and is also something of the past.



4- Hijazi dishes at Sahur



Hijazi people, especially the citizens of Jeddah, would eat a special fish dish at Sahur called Sayadia.



This dish is no longer prepared anymore. Hijazi youth eat other types of food at Sahur nowadays.



5- Selling of food



Though food still continues to be sold on the streets of Hijaz during Ramadan, in the past street hawkers tended to be actual Hijazis who would be dressed in traditional Hijazi costumes, including the Hijazi turban.



Street hawkers nowadays, however, tend to be foreigners who do not usually dress in mufti like those of the past.