In Sarajevo during Ramadan, a cannon shot announces iftar (the meal eaten after fasting) every single day. And with a salute, no less! Last year, they did the same thing in the Serbian Novi Pazar. At the time, I thought it was just a local custom. Now I had to Google it.

Turns out, it's a major tradition that likely started in Egypt in the 19th century (though some historians claim it goes back to the 15th or even 10th century), and by the mid-20th century it had spread to most Muslim countries.

According to legend, the Sultan gave Egyptian soldiers a cannon, and they decided to test it: they cleaned it and fired it. It just so happened that this took place right at sunset. The locals took the loud boom as a signal that the fast had ended and were extremely grateful to the ruler for such a brilliant idea. Keep in mind that back then people didn't have watches or phones readily available like today. In the end, the Sultan's daughter convinced her father to order the cannon to be fired like this every day during Ramadan. In Cairo, the tradition is sometimes even named after her—Hajja Fatima.

Crowds gather to watch the spectacle. Some people bring food (usually pizza from a nearby bakery) and start eating right after the shot. It probably also helps that during Ramadan, getting into a decent restaurant for dinner without a reservation is really lucky. When you call to book a table, there's often no availability even for the next day.

P.S. Spotify suddenly started recommending Bosnian religious music to me. It's not like I'm into that, but now I know it exists. It actually sounds pretty good, by the way. And the lyrics were interesting to listen to.