From stringing up lanterns to playing football on fire, Ramadan is celebrated in different ways across the globe

The holy month unites Muslims from all walks of life around the world. The season is a chance for worshippers to celebrate their faith by fasting from dawn to dusk and abstaining from vices and worldly pleasures.

But while the values of fasting and sacrifice are shared among all Muslims, the way by which the season is celebrated can be different from one country to another, making the occasion all the more colourful and unique.

THE MIDDLE EAST: Every 14th night of the holy month, children clad in festival robes do the rounds in their neighbourhood, singing songs and knocking on doors in exchange for sweets. Garangao, as it’s typically called, is a common sight in Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have kept the tradition of firing a cannon to signal the breaking of the fast each day. In Iraq, men traditionally play the folk game al siniya – meaning ‘tray’ in Arabic – to cap off iftar. In Turkey, worshippers continue to rely on the mesaharaty, or pre-dawn caller, to rouse them from slumber for a pre-fast meal.

NORTH AFRICA: Egypt has held on to the tradition of adorning the streets with a multitude of bright and colourful lanterns to mark the holy month. In Morocco, revellers begin preparations two or three weeks in advance by painting and cleaning their houses. Night markets are common sights in Algeria throughout the holy month.

ASIA: Worshippers in the Maldives observe iftar by preparing traditional dishes like fish cake and fish balls, concluded with Ramadan-related poetry. Muslims in Pakistan often celebrate iftar with large gatherings featuring fried snack favourites such as pakoras, chaat and samosas. Indonesian worshippers in some regions play with fire — literally — kicking flaming kerosene-soaked coconut shells to score goals, dubbed sepak bola api in local dialect.