(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Residents of the capital will gather on the corniche in Ain al-Mreisseh Saturday evening for a traditional viewing of the moon and the possible beginning of the month of Ramadan.The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will include numerous games and activities for children, as well as a special kite-flying contest.
A commemoration of the advent of Ramadan will follow at 8 p.m. as participants observe the rising of the crescent moon, which could signal that Sunday marks the first day of fasting. If the moon is not visible before sunrise, then the first day of Ramadan will fall Monday.
Four local family associations are hosting the event on the Corniche, and the Sinno Family League is enthusiastic about its first-time participation as one of the hosts.
“It is a great honor for us to participate in such an event for the first time with a significant financial contribution,” said Anas Sinno, the secretary-general of the Sinno Family League.
Another traditional feature of Ramadan is the firing of an artillery piece at dusk, to indicate that the day-long fast has ended.
Although cities such as Beirut and Sidon aren’t slated to feature the daily boom this year, Tripoli will observe the tradition. The artillery piece was moved this year from the Mameluke Citadel to the Rashid Karami Fairgrounds, and will be fired by army personnel.
The tradition originated during the era of the Mamelukes, and the firing of the cannon was used by religious authorities in cities to relay the exact moment of sunset for those too far away to hear the muezzin calling out the sunset prayers. With the advent of loudspeakers in minarets and other technology, the practice is no longer necessary but nonetheless remains a tradition in Lebanon, often on the first night of Ramadan.
Another modern tradition is the traffic congestion in the run-up to sunset, as people rush home to attend family gatherings and iftar events at restaurants and hotels.
“I usually prefer fasting at home during Ramadan, as it’s a special month where families get together and break the fast together,” said Beirut native Nabila Bitar. “I don’t go out to restaurants unless I am invited by close friends and family members.”
But for those with large families or those wanting to get out of the house, there are plenty of options for dining out during Ramadan.
The Phoenicia Hotel’s Mosaic restaurant in Minet al-Hosn is one of the priciest options at $48 per person, offering an open buffet of Lebanese and international cuisine including Ramadan juices and mineral water.
In Beirut’s southern suburbs, Al-Saha Restaurant on the Old Airport Highway is serving iftar for $22 for adults and $11 for children on their set menu. The Four Seasons Hotel in Minet al-Hosn, meanwhile, offers iftar by reservation only. The price varies according to the number in party and menu selected. The M?venpick Hotel’s Burj Al-Hamam Restaurant is priced at $42 per person.
Downtown Beirut presents a number of options, including Karam Restaurant with a set menu at $40 per person, Grand Café with a set menu at LL40,000 per person, and Al-Balad Restaurant at Nijmeh Square offering a set menu for $30 per person, but only accepting parties of six or more.
And for those wishing to experience iftar on the shores of the Mediterranean, the Jbeil-based Edde Sands beach club offers a fixed-menu iftar for $44 per person.
A new initiative has also kicked off this year in Ras Beirut, where the advertising firm Adplus is distributing 4,000 promotional bags filled with menus, prices and special offers by restaurants and cafés during the month of Ramadan.
The month of Ramadan will see the country’s dining establishments adapt to the rhythm of their fasting customers, and times of operation may change, while several hotels and beach clubs are launching special promotion packages.
With Ramadan falling in the middle of the summer this year, tourism officials have noted a drop-off in activity as some visitors to Lebanon prefer to spend the month of fasting in their home countries.
As a response, the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort will offer special deals combining iftar meals with hotel rooms at a discounted rate. The M?venpick Hotel is offering a 25 percent discount for each night booked, and the Riviera Hotel has a “buy 2 get 1 night free” offer.
As a part of the entertainment blitz, a number of restaurants and hotels are advertising night-time concerts by famous Arab entertainments.
But the iftar scene is not a matter of high-priced dining focused on individuals – it’s also heavily oriented toward charity events to help the needy.
Dar al-Aytam al-Islamiya, a humanitarian organization that cares for orphans, is hosting a series of iftars throughout the month of August.
The organization will hold charity iftars in the village of Ketermaya in Chouf on Aug. 6 and 7, for men and women respectively. These will be followed by similar invents in Dinnieh (Aug. 12), Beirut (Aug. 16-17), Akkar (Aug. 18), Hasbaya (Aug. 19) the Bekaa (Aug. 20) and finally a special children-only event in Beirut as its closing event.
The Sidon Orphan Care Association will be hosting a suhoor, the traditional meal just before dawn, for its female members on Aug. 5, while the Beirut-based Maqassed Association will hold a special iftar for children in mid-month.
Students from Maqassed schools will celebrate the event by serving the families of the less fortunate, while the Maqassed will hold its “VIP” iftar at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure center in Beirut on Aug. 18, in an event that is traditionally attended by senior government officials and members of the association.
The Imam Sadr Foundation will also host two iftars. One will take place at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel in Beirut on Aug. 3 and 4, for men and women, respectively. The second will be held at the Imam Sadr Foundation’s branch in Tyre, on Aug. 12 and 15, for men and women, respectively.
The principal of the Maqassed School in Qantari, Aida Ghandour, said Ramadan “is such a special occasion for everyone to gather, and especially for the children to be able to help and appreciate spending time together. It is indeed great fun for all.”
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