Once the start of the holy month is declared, Muslims share holiday greetings such as 'Ramadan Mubarak,' or 'blessed Ramadan,' via text messages, calls and emails to family and friends.

Another hallmark of Ramadan is nightly prayer at the mosque among Sunni Muslims called 'taraweeh.' Egyptians follow the tradition of the 'fanoos,' a Ramadan lantern that is often the centerpiece at an iftar table or seen hanging in shop windows and from balconies.

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Increasingly common are Ramadan tents in five-star hotels that offer lavish and pricey meals throughout the evening. While Ramadan is a boon for retailers in the Middle East and south Asia, critics say the holy month is increasingly becoming commercialized.

Scholars have also been disturbed by the proliferation of evening television shows during Ramadan. In the Arab world, month long soap operas rake in millions of dollars in advertising.