Fanoos

Ramadan has been creeping up on me for quite a while now, and suddenly it's almost here! Ramadan lights, commonly called Christmas lights in America, are popping up on almost every street corner and in windows throughout the city. Fanoos, or Ramadan lanterns, are also seen swinging from posts by the street vendors. These lanterns are a pretty big deal for the people here. Most of them are extremely ornate with Qur'anic script written on the glass. I found out just how big of a deal they are when I attempted to draw one. It was a bit of a tricky thing because I hadn't heard the word fanoos before. However, after I saw a picture of one, I got the general idea. But getting the general idea just won't cut it. I looked at picture after picture, and attempted drawing even more styles than I looked at, but none of them were good enough for the craft the women at the orphanage had planned. My attempts must have been getting worse and worse because, one of the women finally drew a lantern for me to then take and trace onto a slab of styrofoam. Forty eight outlines later, I could finally, hopefully, draw a decent Ramadan lantern. There are many reasons that Ramadan lanterns are important to the people. The first is that they have become a big tradition and a part of their heritage. Another is the symbolism of light. In many traditions, including Islam, light is related to God. The lanterns are also pretty. It's fun to see how people here are preparing for this holiday. I have heard of people who practice fasting so that the month of fasting won't be as big of a shock to their bodies. I see people who decorate their houses, prepare for guests, and prepare a lot of food. There are also those people who are always on the lookout for their fellow man who might need a hand. The other day, I was riding back from work in a taxi with a few other Arab men. When we pulled around a corner, we saw a vehicle that was stopped on the left side of the road. As we got closer, we could see the owner of the car trying to fix his car, while the rest of traffic was trying to maneuver around him. I wouldn't have been surprised if we would have gone around him as well, but instead, we pulled up behind him and our driver asked if he needed any help. Then the rest of the Arab men piled out from the taxi and helped the man push his car out of the road to a place where he could get help. The first thing the driver said when he climbed back in the taxi and we started moving again was a mild reprimand at the other men for grumbling about the lost time. Then he said, “This is Islam. When you see your brother you must help him.” Words to the effect that Ramadan is also close and they should be extra kind to their fellow man were also included for effect. I would have to agree with that taxi driver. That is Islam. Awareness for those around you and an effort to help them. Granted nobody's perfect, but generally speaking, those people I have been around while here in Jordan were genuinely interested in being of service.

=)