In a first, London’s Piccadilly Circus decked out with Ramadan lights | World news
London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Tuesday switched on the capital’s Ramadan lights to celebrate the start of the Islamic holy month. This is the first time ever that festive lights in Piccadilly Circus will illuminate the city for the month of Ramadan, the mirror reported.
With this, London has also become the first European city to present such a display for the festival which includes the installation of 30,000 sustainable lights. Aisha Desai of Ramadan Lights UK, who was inspired by her love of Christmas lights to start the project three years ago, organized the display, which was produced in partnership with the Heart of London Business Alliance and featured the words “Happy Ramadan .”
“I just had the ambition to make it like Christmas lights,” Desai was quoted as saying through the mirror.
I remember going to visit the Christmas lights with my sister when I was growing up and I still had the opportunity to live in the Middle East and I wanted to bring that joy and magic to London, the city I’m from, she added .
When he said that he wanted to know about the holy month, Desai said, “I want to note that it is good to let our neighbors know that this is an important month for us, it is my favorite month of the year and I just be thankful we are here today.”
“As a child, a trip to central London to see the festive lights was a yearly treat. My sister and I would lie in the back of the car looking at the lights through the sunroof. It was magical.”
Ramadan, also known as Ramazan or Ramzan, is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is celebrated worldwide by Muslims as a month of fasting (called Roza in India and Pakistan), prayer, meditation and community. It usually lasts for four weeks and two days – during which followers of Islam fast between dawn and sunset.
