Ramadhan

All about Ramadan in Algeria

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. It enjoys a special importance around the Islamic world.

Algiers- Algerians differ in the way they prepare for and celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan. Most people however make it an occasion of family unity, service to society and supporting one another. However, there are the few who use the month to make illegitimate profits. Although Ramadan is supposed to be a month of mercy, generosity, good works and observing what is allowed by God, many Algerian merchants and dealers seek unlawful profits during Ramadan.

Although many Ramadan traditions have changed over time in Algeria, preparations for the month remain the same. Algerians get ready for it weeks before it starts.

Religious practice, like fasting during the day and praying during the night, is common weeks before Ramadan. For women, however, the preparations are not strictly religious; setting up the house to receive guests during the month - a tradition for decades - is a must.

Before Ramadan, women take the responsibility of cleaning the house. Some women go to the extreme of totally making over the whole house; refurbishing and painting.

Algerian women usually buy new cooking utensils, which will be used in cooking the heavy meals and big banquets, and purchase new dishes. The household menu during Ramadan in Algeria can not be conceived without certain traditional dishes and foods. The Algerian soup al- Harira or al-Hisaa, as the people call it, is a must and is accompanied by home-made bread called al-Kasra. Seasonings and spices are usually added to different types of food.

Al-Buraq, paste filled with cheese and minced meat. 

Bourek

There is also a famous dish that is eaten at sohour (the last meal before the dawn) which is messefouf( couscous served with dried raisins ans sugar) coupled with milk.

messefouf

Almonds, Baklava and Zalabiya (a round donut-like sweet dipped in honey or sugar) is on the top of the long list of Arabian sweets that Algerians eat during Ramadan.  

zelabiya

Algerians have special Ramadan traditions that distinguish them from other Muslims. In Ramadan, the heads of the families take their young boys, shave their heads completely and circumcise them as the last ten days of Ramadan approach, deemed the holiest and the most blessed of all the month.

Also, the child that fasts throughout Ramadan for the first time is given a special gift to encourage him to fast again and reward him for the behaviour, considered a sign of piety and goodness.

In the breaking-of-fast meal, the child is usually given a sweet, cold drink where a gold or silver ring is place inside as a present. The ritual signifies the beginning of a life based on piety and religious observance.

Some workers take official holidays during Ramadan, preferring to sleep during the day in the absence of coffee and cigarettes. Tempers are usually affected by the lack of food, with some people remaining irritable and nervy until they break their fast.

Observant muslims eat a morning meal, the Suhoor, before dawn. The fast is broken each evening with a meal called the iftar. Traditionally, the first bite of food for the iftar is a date and perhaps a sip of milk. These are followed by heartier fare, coffee and tea. Friends and family often gather together to share the experience.

Iftar traditions vary widely around the world. Muslims in many countries eat dishes that are typical for their region the year round. In other countries, special dishes are particularly associated with the iftar meal.

Harira is a soup from the Maghreb region of North Africa that is especially popular as an iftar meal to break the daily fast during Ramadan. There are innumerable variations of this hearty, healthy soup, but most recipes are for chunks of lamb slow simmered with tomatoes, chickpeas, spices and herbs.

chorba or hriara

Lahm lhalou, Arabic for "sweet meat," is a very popular dish in Algeria, especially during the month of Ramadan. The daylong fast is broken first with dates, then with mouthfuls of this unctuous and fragrant dish of tender lamb simmered with sweet fruits.

lham lahlou

In Algeria, especially in the area where I live, women prepare "MESFOUF"…It's an important dish prepared of fine couscous,   butter, sugar and dry raisins (ZABIB) served with glasses of milk.. this meal keeps hunger away and provides the body with the necessary energy.