Ramadan brings nighttime boom for Tunisia’s food vendors

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00:00 In Beja, a city in Tunisia's north, the sun is going down and Hamad is preparing a special

00:06 tradition on the roof of the town hall.

00:08 He will detonate little bulbs filled with gunpowder to announce the breaking of the

00:12 daily fast.

00:13 HAMAD AL-MUQTADI, Tunisian Minister of Defense (through translator): Now we're going to put

00:14 the bulb in the hole like this.

00:16 It's a big responsibility.

00:18 Some people wait for the explosion to start eating.

00:20 Even if there's also the call from the mosque, they need this sound.

00:23 ZAKARIA: This ancient tradition dates back to the Ottoman era, when cannons were fired.

00:27 It has died out in some places, but this teacher says, for him, the ritual is still linked

00:31 to a lifetime of good memories.

00:32 HAMAD AL-MUQTADI (through translator): For me, it's part of Ramadan, like the smell of

00:35 fresh bread in the bakeries just before breaking the fast, the smell of spices and omelets.

00:41 It's a special atmosphere.

00:42 ZAKARIA (through translator): At the exact minute of the fast-breaking, the first explosion

00:46 rings out.

00:56 As night falls in the capital, Tunis, the old city comes alive with free shows.

01:04 They are organized as part of the Tunis Wishahed Tuna Program, supported by the European Union

01:08 and Tunisian Ministries of Culture and Tourism.

01:11 In the smaller alleys, pop-up cafes are set up just for the holy month, like Murad's cafe.

01:16 When it's not Ramadan, he sells sandwiches during the day.

01:18 MURAD AL-MUQTADI (through translator): All the businesses get along because there isn't

01:21 much space.

01:22 Everyone helps each other.

01:23 We work together to put out chairs, and everyone makes a little money.

01:26 ZAKARIA (through translator): In the early hours before sunrise, crowds flock to Bab

01:30 el-Khadra, one of the great gates of the old city, to eat the suhoor, a snack before the

01:35 fasting starts again.

01:38 Many grab a bowl of draa, an energy-packed, sorghum-based meal.

01:41 MURAD AL-MUQTADI (through translator): To me, this is an integral part of Ramadan.

01:45 I live in Belgium.

01:47 We don't have this.

01:48 I came for the holiday to enjoy it.

01:50 ZAKARIA (through translator): For most people with pop-up stands, the money they make selling

01:55 food at night in Ramadan is an additional income.

01:58 It often particularly comes in handy during the gift-giving and celebrations for the Eid

02:02 holiday, which follows the end of Ramadan.

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