Another story states that in the old days women were not allowed to leave their houses expect in Ramadan. Even then, however, they had to be led by a little boy carrying a lantern. The lantern was consequently used as a tool to announce the coming of a woman to caution men in the street to look away.

The lantern has always been recognized as symbol of Ramadan. In fact, when Ramadan is to be announced, the streets are dressed in festive lanterns as a way to celebrate it for a whole month.

“When Ramadan comes, shops, coffee shops and homes light up the lantern as a sign of the holy month,” said Hassan, an owner of a coffee shop in downtown Jeddah. “I like to hang it as a tradition and cultural habit that I inherited from my father.”

Lanterns are usually made in Egypt where the humble makers start making them a month before Ramadan with very basic tools.

“Each day, in every workshop, tens of lanterns of special designs are made and then stored carefully away or hanged in the ceiling, waiting for their season,” said Mansour, an owner of a Fanous shop in downtown Jeddah. “I get my merchandise from downtown Cairo especially to be sold in Jeddah because they offer good quality at a low price.”

Lanterns used to be made solely from copper and brass, but thanks to modern technology, they can now be found made of recycled tins, colored glass and even fitted with candles. Furthermore, in China, for example, you can find lanterns made from colored plastic that play special Ramadan songs to attract children.

“Children now hold those small lanterns and run around the streets with joy,” said Am Mahmoud, a toy seller in downtown Jeddah. “Plastic lanterns are cheap and can be easily charged with new batteries. They also put parents at ease for not having to deal with fire.”

Saudi families have adopted this tradition of hanging lanterns in their homes and it has become a yearly ritual. “We have been hanging lanterns in our house for as long as I can remember, especially in Ramadan,” said 54-year-old Fatima Abdul-Mehsen from Jeddah. “We buy our lanterns from downtown Jeddah and sometimes ship them from Egypt because the light and colors bring us joy.”