Street markets light up for Ramadan in Cairo and the Lunar New Year in Beijing

0:01Today's State of the World takes us to the street markets of Cairo and Beijing, busy and lit up in anticipation of celebrations and holy days to come. You're listening to State of the World from NPR, the day's most vital international stories up close with her happening. It's Monday, February 16th. I'm Christine Arismeth. All this week, major holidays are coinciding. Christians are marking Ash Wednesday. We'll hear about the Chinese Lunar New Year in a moment. And Muslims are preparing for the start of Ramadan, a month of prayer, fasting, and shared meals. NPR's Aya Betrawi takes us to the heart of old Cairo in Egypt, where the Muslim holy month is a fusion of the old and the new.

0:52Ramadan's around the corner, and the markets of old Cairo are glowing with twinkling lights in the shape of crescent moons and stars. The streets are narrow and winding, and packed with people. Excitement is building.

1:08Isra Bahat is in Darbal Ahmar in old Cairo, carrying bags of shopping. She says once people hear that Ramadan is near, the streets of Cairo light up and the soul of the holy month is felt in the decor and songs. That decor, she says, includes lanterns known as fawonis, and tablecloths, pillow cushions and curtains. Bahat's been coming to this market since she was a child with her mom to prepare for Ramadan. Now, she's a mother of young girls herself. She says she doesn't feel like Ramadan's about to start until she comes here to the markets of old Cairo. So I'm standing immediately next to a really big, beautiful mosque.

1:51It's towering over me, made of stones and rocks from the 1400s. And right across from us is this little store selling all this plastic stuff made in China. Like all kinds of trinkets, lights. It's very much how you would imagine Christmas is in a lot of people's homes, but it's all Ramadan. So it's a really cool mix of like very, very old with new traditions. But I will say the stuff here that I'm seeing on sale, this stuff isn't even going to last a month. I think it'll break probably by the second week of Ramadan. A man wearing bold geometric patterns of red, yellow and blue wishes people on the street a blessed Ramadan.

2:31He's decked from head to toe in what's become a ubiquitous Ramadan motif in Egypt. This arabesque design, spanning more than a thousand years, is found today on everything from Ramadan-themed tissue boxes and teacups to strings of flags zigzagging above these narrow alleyways.

2:53Durreya Mustafa and Yasmin Mahmoud are lifelong friends shopping the latest Ramadan trends to decorate their homes with. Mahmoud says Ramadan isn't primarily about decor, but it makes it festive.

3:08Her friend Mustafa agrees.

3:15She says we're following in the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, who welcomed Ramadan with open arms in celebration. And she says it's fun to see her husband come home and be shocked by the colorful vibes.

3:30Get the hand. Trinkets like knockoff LeBubu keychains hang next to stalls with Ramadan pillow covers wrapped in plastic. Mona Mohamed is sorting through some of those for gifts. What brought you here specifically to get ready for Ramadan? Cheaper. Some friends told me this year it's cheaper than outside. I like every now and then to come here and to visit. You know, it's like, it's classic. She says lanterns and cushions, they give Ramadan a unique feel. But she says the real prep happens on the inside, through worship and getting ready for the challenge of long days of abstaining from food and water.

4:12You change your lifestyle. You change what you do, what you eat, when you eat, when you wake up. And you're trying to get benefit as much as you can from this month. Cairo is transformed in Ramadan by the soft glow of lanterns and bold patterns. But ultimately, the real transformation is in turning away from the material world and turning back to faith. Aya Botrawi, NPR News, Cairo.

4:44An Aya story was produced by Greg Dixon.

4:51Many parts of Asia are celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year. It's the year of the fire horse. In the Chinese zodiac, the fire horse represents action and risk-taking. But on the streets of Beijing, many people say they just want stability in this sluggish economy. NPR's Jennifer Pack brings us the story. At a crowded Lunar New Year market in Beijing, vendors sell a mix of goods like red lanterns, dumplings and clothing. There's a lot going on. So sellers make noises to attract customers. Here's a vendor selling toy drops. Among the shoppers is Wang Wenshin. He says this past year has been good for him.

5:34My village home was set to be knocked down for a development project, he says. So I was compensated with a home and some money. Money-wise, he's doing all right. As for his youngest child,

5:53My son is a university graduate. He's 24 and still lives at home, he says. Of course we can support him, but we're worried. Worried because China's youth unemployment rate is high. Almost one out of six graduates were jobless last December. Further down the market, student Xie Youzi says she's pursuing a consecutive master's and doctorate. She's still a few years off from graduating and says she's not that worried about her future job prospects. But when asked how she sees the coming year, she says she hopes China's economy will continue improving so that more people can find jobs, she says. It's been a busy year for another graduate student, surnamed Xu.

6:40He asked that NPR not use his full name because he fears speaking about the economy in less than glowing terms could result in official retaliation.

6:52I've been studying and interning, he says. My schedule has been packed, so I didn't have much time to relax or have fun last year. His hard work has paid off. Xu already has a job lined up when he graduates this year. His wish for this Lunar New Year?

7:13I just hope to successfully graduate and start my job without any major surprises. In this economic climate, predictability is stability. And those who have stable jobs, like Helen Yi, who works at a bank, say they're looking for more outside of work. In the new lunar year, I hope to develop more hobbies and interests. I wish my life to be more fulfilling. She says she's happy with the overall direction China is taking.

7:45The economy is steadily progressing, she says, especially in science, technology innovation, and finance. But those things don't matter much to ordinary people, says Wang Wenshin, the man whose adult son is still living with him. He says, sure, you can hail a robot taxi in Beijing's pilot zone in Yizhuang, and it's relatively easy. But that's not creating human jobs, he says. And with the retirement age raised, plus another 12 million plus students set to graduate this year, Wang says the pressure on young people and families like his is growing. Jennifer Pack, NPR News.

8:28And that's the State of the World from NPR. Thanks for listening.