16 things we miss about Ramadan in the 80s and 90s

Gone are those days when Ramadan happened during the cold weather, when the days were shorter and when a warm cuppa sahlab was our go-to suhoor meal.  

Since around 2006-2007, Ramadan began to coincide with hot weather in the North Hemisphere mainly because Muslims follow a Lunar Calendar (The Hijri Calendar is between 10 and 12 days shorter than the Gregorian Calendar). 

But fret not friends! Ramadan will once again fall in winter ... starting 2024! 

Less violence and cussing, more dancing and fawazeer!  

Back in the good old days, Ramadan TV shows brought people together. Nowadays it is almost impossible for friends and family members to agree on what to watch.

Fewer TV channels meant fewer mosalsalat, less arguments about what to watch and less fights over the remote control!

Even if you were too young to fast in the first place, everyone would eagerly await to hear the iftar cannon go off on TV after this phrase: مدفع الإفطار إضرب. 

The centuries-old custom of mesaharatis involves public walkers roaming streets and alleys to wake people up for suhoor. Unfortunately, this seasonal job is slowly disappearing, especially in big cities.  

I miss hearing إصحى يا نايم .... وحد الدايم, which roughly translates to: "Arise sleepers, it's time to praise the one eternal God."

Sharing food with neighbors is another beautiful Ramadan tradition that is sadly fading away. But ask around and you can probably catch a few people who can recall a time when various dishes would make their way to every apartment in their building, filled with different mouthwatering meals each day.

From the early 80s till the mid 90s, "Boogy and Tamtam" was arguably the best children show in Egypt and the Arab world. 

For close to a decade, beloved Egyptian actor Fouad El-Mohandes became 3ammo Fouad, or Uncle Fouad, for his fawazir show.

Who doesn't miss laughing out loud with teta to Ibrahim Nasr's hilarious pranks? 

One particularly funny line I recall is him saying:"Ya nagaty, onfokh el balalin 3ashn 3id el milad," and the look on people's face after he'd take off his wig! 

Egyptian Armenian actress Nelly is best known for a number of televised fawazir shows that would air throughout the month of Ramadan and feature numerous songs and dance routines.  

Just like Nelly, Sherihan was popular among Egyptians and Arabs alike for her Ramadan riddles. Over the years, both their shows became a staple of Ramadan nights, especially for those born in the 80s and 90s. 

Who can forget the sassy 1980s character, with his over-sized green suit, big black bow tie, and huge yellow shoes? 

As the name implies, من غير كلام invited celebrities to a televised game of charade. Guests would mime and try to guess the names of films, songs, and plays. The 1980s hit show was hosted by the late Egyptian actor Hassan Mostafa.

Bakkar is considered to be the first ever Egyptian cartoon character. Bakkar is a sweet and talented Nubian Egyptian boy that became very popular with children in the 1990s. And who can ever forget his pet goat Rashida?!  

After a 7 year hiatus, Bakkar made a comeback in 2015. 

The seemingly never ending cycle of ads is currently making the act of watching TV pretty infuriating. This is why many prefer to watch their favorite shows online instead.

The list is long, but we can probably recite most of them!