# Egypt in Ramadam



## Sofia Cooper

So ramadam is in August this year , 
What i would like to know, if i was staying in August (which i am hoping to come in July)
What would Egpyt be like? would the shops close earlier, selling achohol as this time, is it forbidden , not that i do , but i just wanted to know, so i know what to expect if i do land in Aug, 
How long does is last for ....is it a month long? like i think it is , ?


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## MaidenScotland

Yes it is in August and lasts for a month, it doesn't really make that much difference to westerners as life goes on as normal but if you are working you will finish work about 2pm so that you can get home for Iftar. 
Alcohol is available in bars but no deliveries from drinkies etc and Egyptians are forbidden to drink full stop for the month.
I observe the fast at least on the food front, water I cannot do without but I never drink water in front of my Muslim colleges.
One horrid horrid aspect of Ramadan is the hawking in the street... stomach churning.


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## MaidenScotland

p.s it is Ramadan not Ramadam


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## Tinytraveler

MaidenScotland said:


> One horrid horrid aspect of Ramadan is the hawking in the street... stomach churning.


What?? Are people puking or just spitting? I have never seen any of that due to fasting. 

Now I have seen people here spit and it seems they will spit anywhere. I was going down the stairs of a store and a guy coming up just spit on the wall. I couldn't help myself but loudly said "Ew gross!" He had only come in the building couldn't he go back outside and do it at least in the grass.


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## MaidenScotland

Tinytraveler said:


> What?? Are people puking or just spitting? I have never seen any of that due to fasting.
> 
> Now I have seen people here spit and it seems they will spit anywhere. I was going down the stairs of a store and a guy coming up just spit on the wall. I couldn't help myself but loudly said "Ew gross!" He had only come in the building couldn't he go back outside and do it at least in the grass.


To clear or attempt to clear the throat by or as if by coughing up phlegm.
v.tr.
To clear the throat of (phlegm).
n.
An audible effort to clear the throat by expelling phlegm.

And this is everywhere during ramadan


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> One horrid horrid aspect of Ramadan is the hawking in the street... .


There's a reason for it - not of course that you have to spit on the street, you can be more discrete!


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## Sofia Cooper

Tinytraveler said:


> What?? Are people puking or just spitting? I have never seen any of that due to fasting.
> 
> Now I have seen people here spit and it seems they will spit anywhere. I was going down the stairs of a store and a guy coming up just spit on the wall. I couldn't help myself but loudly said "Ew gross!" He had only come in the building couldn't he go back outside and do it at least in the grass.


 I need to ask about this hawking as I have never heard of it ,, I work with many muslims and have many friends who are but this is new to me !!! I've not seen any spitting outside or in the work place ,, I have asked them many questions as I love to learn about diferant religons but I have never heard of this ,


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## Beatle

Sofia Cooper said:


> I need to ask about this hawking as I have never heard of it ,, I work with many muslims and have many friends who are but this is new to me !!! I've not seen any spitting outside or in the work place ,, I have asked them many questions as I love to learn about diferant religons but I have never heard of this ,


Hawking per se has nothing to do with Islam! It's just something that is more "socially acceptable" in some cultures than others - I have never seen a woman do it in any culture though! However, I can understand why you may observe more people doing it during Ramadan


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## Sofia Cooper

Beatle said:


> Hawking per se has nothing to do with Islam! It's just something that is more "socially acceptable" in some cultures than others - I have never seen a woman do it in any culture though! However, I can understand why you may observe more people doing it during Ramadan


 I misunderstood ! it's nothing to do with Ramadam , it's a cultural thing , but it's happen more in Ramadam or it's more noticable , 
I'll just have to turn away , and not dwell the thought to much (yuk)


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## MaidenScotland

No nothing to do with Islam but very much in evidence during Ramadan as there is no smoking during daylight hours and suddenly their lungs wants cleaning out.


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## Sofia Cooper

MaidenScotland said:


> No nothing to do with Islam but very much in evidence during Ramadan as there is no smoking during daylight hours and suddenly their lungs wants cleaning out.


Thanx for explaining,


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## hurghadapat

*Ramadan*



MaidenScotland said:


> No nothing to do with Islam but very much in evidence during Ramadan as there is no smoking during daylight hours and suddenly their lungs wants cleaning out.


Don't really think this has anything to do with Ramadan,it's just a horrible filthy habit that a lot of Egptian men have and they seem to do it anywhere and any time.!!!!!!!


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## Sofia Cooper

hurghadapat said:


> Don't really think this has anything to do with Ramadan,it's just a horrible filthy habit that a lot of Egptian men have and they seem to do it anywhere and any time.!!!!!!!


 Hi Pat , yes now I realise nothing to do with Ramadam , I.just wandered why the increase of spitting . 
Men in general do this disgusting act in public , and don't think there's any need for it .. Where I work on the heart unit I witnessed a domestic assistant doing this and blowing his nose in the sink , right nxt to a patient , I was so disgusted I reported him , he complained I was being racist.. :confused2:


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## DeadGuy

Can we just let go with all this please??? I "live" in here and I see it on a daily basis ughhhhh!!!

No need to talk about! Damn!


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## MaidenScotland

hurghadapat said:


> Don't really think this has anything to do with Ramadan,it's just a horrible filthy habit that a lot of Egptian men have and they seem to do it anywhere and any time.!!!!!!!




My first line was... nothing to do with Islam

When fasting smoking is also prohibited.. what happens to peoples lungs when they give up smoking???????????? sooooooooo they hawk.


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## Sam

MaidenScotland said:


> My first line was... nothing to do with Islam
> 
> When fasting smoking is also prohibited.. what happens to peoples lungs when they give up smoking???????????? sooooooooo they hawk.


I have never noticed it was increased in Ramadan, but makes sense. I just find it disgusting in general. I think the worst is when they spit out of car windows when there are pedestrians around, ugh :spit:




:focus:
What to expect during Ramadan... the level of work is drastically reduced, people don't want to exert themselves making them thirsty, so pretty much make no effort. As MS said, you can buy and drink alcohol, but NO EGYPTIAN can, regardless of his religion. 

Westerners are not expected to observe the fast, but if you were to eat/smoke/drink in public don't expect to be received well. It is also advisable to be more conservatively dressed (but that tends to apply to Sharm where people will walk around the streets in a bikini).

I also tend to find people are really grumpy. I see stress levels higher, and tend to see more fights during Ramadan than any other time (despite it being the holy month when everyone is supposed to get along).


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## Sofia Cooper

Sam said:


> I have never noticed it was increased in Ramadan, but makes sense. I just find it disgusting in general. I think the worst is when they spit out of car windows when there are pedestrians around, ugh :spit:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :focus:
> What to expect during Ramadan... the level of work is drastically reduced, people don't want to exert themselves making them thirsty, so pretty much make no effort. As MS said, you can buy and drink alcohol, but NO EGYPTIAN can, regardless of his religion.
> 
> Westerners are not expected to observe the fast, but if you were to eat/smoke/drink in public don't expect to be received well. It is also advisable to be more conservatively dressed (but that tends to apply to Sharm where people will walk around the streets in a bikini).
> 
> I also tend to find people are really grumpy. I see stress levels higher, and tend to see more fights during Ramadan than any other time (despite it being the holy month when everyone is supposed to get along).


 Thanx for that Sam, it sums it up nicely, especailly about refraining from eating/drinking in public. And yes of course to dress conservatively, which i would anytime of the year,


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## Beatle

Sam said:


> I have never noticed it was increased in Ramadan, but makes sense. I just find it disgusting in general. I think the worst is when they spit out of car windows when there are pedestrians around, ugh :spit:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> :focus:
> What to expect during Ramadan... the level of work is drastically reduced, people don't want to exert themselves making them thirsty, so pretty much make no effort. As MS said, you can buy and drink alcohol, but NO EGYPTIAN can, regardless of his religion.
> 
> Westerners are not expected to observe the fast, but if you were to eat/smoke/drink in public don't expect to be received well. .


I was living with Westerners last time I was in Cairo during Ramadan and I went out with them on a few occasions when they found it really hot, so they drank water/juice in public without having any hassle.


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> When fasting smoking is also prohibited.. what happens to peoples lungs when they give up smoking???????????? sooooooooo they hawk.


I am not sure if this is the explanation. Although I am reluctant to open up a religious debate on this point, some Muslims believe that you can't swallow your saliva during the fasting hours of Ramadan. So, they spit it out. That may be why there seems to be more people spitting on the streets. There are obviously more discrete ways to deal with the saliva....


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> I am not sure if this is the explanation. Although I am reluctant to open up a religious debate on this point, some Muslims believe that you can't swallow your saliva during the fasting hours of Ramadan. So, they spit it out. That may be why there seems to be more people spitting on the streets. There are obviously more discrete ways to deal with the saliva....




No it's not the saliva issue.. it's the not smoking, I see it in my drivers who al smoke and suddenly they can't. ughhhhhhh


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> No it's not the saliva issue.. it's the not smoking, I see it in my drivers who al smoke and suddenly they can't. ughhhhhhh


There are Muslims who don't smoke who have problems with saliva!


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> There are Muslims who don't smoke who have problems with saliva!


 Spitting saliva and hawking are too different things!!!


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## DeadGuy

MaidenScotland said:


> Spitting saliva and hawking are too different things!!!


They're both disgusting...... 

I know I asked it before, but do you people really need to discuss this?


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