The Egyptian Ministry of Environment has introduced eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional Ramadan lanterns, fawanees in Arabic, using recycled materials.
The Green Corner Unit at the Central Administration for Information and Environmental Awareness at the Ministry of Environment presented a distinctive design for a Ramadan lantern made of recycled household waste, such as fabric, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, spoons, and plastic bottle caps.
The Ministry uses the recycled lantern to raise environmental awareness among all groups and segments of society, while also saving money.
Fawanees are one of the Egyptian historical items in Ramadan. Lanterns come in various shapes and colours. The Egyptians have a tradition of decorating homes and neighbourhoods with fawanees during Ramadan.
Cairo is famous among Arab and Muslim cities as one of the best destinations for observing an authentic Ramadan experience. The spiritual and religious aspects of the Islamic holy month are combined with entertaining activities and cultural traditions.
It’s a typical scene seeing children happily playing with fawanees in the streets, singing the Egyptian song, “Wahawi ya Wahawi.”
The origin of Ramadan lanterns dates back to the era of the Fatimid state. The Fatimid caliph used to go out on the night before Ramadan along with children, each of them carrying a lantern to light the way as they sang in celebration for the holy month. In another story, one of the Fatimid caliphs ordered the lighting of mosques throughout the month of Ramadan with lanterns and candles. It is also believed that lanterns were used by women on their way to the mosques, when they are led by a young man, so that the passers-by will notice that there are women on the road, and give them right of way.
