A pity: The Jerusalem Municipality prepares for Ramadan

No surprise that Ramadan begins with gunshots and obtuse celebrations inside cemetaries. Guns and death - two of the most favorite cards in Islam's deck:

The municipality has purchased shells for the ancient canon the mayor will fire on Monday, September 25 at 17:38 at the Tzalah A-Din Cemetery.

The month of Ramadan will start this year on September 23rd and end on October 22nd (Including 3 days of Id El Feeter). During the Ramadan Muslims fast every day from sunrise to sunset. The Jerusalem municipality has purchased shells for the ancient canon fired every day at the beginning, middle and end of the fast. The municipality a total of purchased a total of 87 shells of two kinds: 37 colored shells for holidays and 50 regular canons. The total price of the shells is 6,787 NIS.

The municipality prepares for the Ramadan on various levels:

The lighting department decorates and lights the Old City gates with festive lights and regularly maintains the lighting in order to allow worshipers easy and safe access to prayers.

The sanitation department will enhance its operations around the old city and the Temple Mount. Special care will be given during Id El Feeter.

The welfare department will give out a holiday gift to needy families.

All Muslims employees of the municipality will finish work every day at 14:00 (Instead of 16:00) and will be free from work during Id El Feeter.

The signal for the start of the daily fast is a canon shot, situated at the Muslim cemetery at Tzalah A-Din st. Additionally, a second shot is heard every night, two hours prior to the beginning of the fast in order to alert people for the fast and a third shot is fired in the afternoon to mark the fast ending.

During the Ramadan the Muslims pray five times a day, on top of a special Ramadan prayer that lasts for 90 minutes. The Muslims prefer to hold their prayers in large mosques (Such as El Aqsa and Dome of the Rock), so heavier traffic than normal is expected in the Old City area.

At the end of Ramadan Muslims celebrate Id El Feeter for three days. On the first one they visit the cemeteries in the early morning, so on this day heavy traffic is also expected.

In preparation for Id El Feeter the municipal veterinarian service has arranged a ritual lamb slaughter at the tarot industrial zone. The lambs are imported by authorized dealers from sanitary sources and the public can purchase the meat on the spot and stores in eastern Jerusalem.