Algerians make the most of Ramadan

16/09/2008

In Algeria, Ramadan is not only for fasting, it is also the month of entertainment. Algerians crowd into cafés each night to play games, art centres are open all month long and singers perform in different cities.

By Nazim Fethi for Magharebia in Algiers – 16/09/08

[Nazim Fethi] Algerians are making the most of Ramadan, not only by observing their prayers and fasting, but by shopping and enjoying cultural events, such as concerts by Mourad Djâafri.

Ramadan is in full swing, and Algerians are making the most of it.

No longer just a month of fasting and prayer, Ramadan in Algeria is also a time for shopping, entertainment and happiness.

This year, the holy month came a few days before the start of school. Parents and kids alike decided to squeeze every last drop of fun out of the summer holiday.

"I'm making the most of the last few days before we go back to school, "said Radia Menani.

Menani, a teacher, told Magharebia she took her two daughters and went to Palm Beach to escape the scorching sun and enjoy the sea breeze.

"I bring some food and a lot of drinks, and I stay here until dawn," she said. "You know, in the summer, the beaches were so full of holidaymakers that there was no time to enjoy them. With the heat wave we're having now, it's ideal to come here in the evening."

At night, after iftar, kids drag their parents to the market to buy school supplies.

By 8 p.m. the streets are crowded with shoppers.

"You'd think no one was left at home, "said Ramdane Moulay, a trader in a gallery near Algiers University.

In the working-class districts, events are concentrated on the Mosques for "taraouih" prayers and on the cafés, where games like dominoes and cards are played.

In the fashionable districts, the children of the rich are no exception to the rule, getting together in groups until daybreak. Discos and other nightclubs give way to tradition and restraint.

Ramadan is also an opportunity for businesses to flourish. Companies and hotels set up festivals to present their goods. Car dealers, cell phone providers and major hotels set up "kheimas géantes" (large tents) hosting artistic events for marketing purposes in a friendly setting, with a typically Algerian Ramadan sense. The tents have become an annual tradition.

Art is displayed largely in Ramadan too. Fans of theatre, music, painting and other kinds of art get their share.

The Algerian National Theatre scheduled a play every night. Meanwhile, the state's Arts and Culture establishment, working in association with the national office for culture and information, and the palace of culture, created a cultural programme for the month. Events vary from music, galleries and film projections to literature and reciting the Koran.

For fans of "châabi" (popular) music, a number of concerts are scheduled in Algiers, including performances by stars like Abdelkader Chaou, Reda Doumaz, Mourad Djâafri and El Kobbi.

For those who like Kabyle song, the famous Lounis Ait Menguelet will perform at a number of galas over the month. Other musical genres have not been forgotten. Outdoor theatres in Algiers and Sidi Fredj will host a number of rai and gnawa stars.

Football fans also have plenty to entertain them during the evenings of Ramadan. They were treated to a qualifying match between Algeria and Senegal for the 2010 World Cup, and will be able to watch matches from the national championship at night.

And finally, for those who prefer to stay home, Ramadan is the month for family visits. The nights of Ramadan are also an opportunity to meet family to break up the monotony of these days of fasting. This is also the favoured moment, particularly for women, to indulge in their favourite guessing game of "bouqualate".