The lighter side of Ramadan in the Arab world – soap operas:

Ramadan translates into big bucks for Arab satellite channels.
Millions of dollars are spent on special programming, much of it
comparable to Western soap operas, to entertain the masses during their
sunrise-to-sunset fasts.

One program, the popular Syrian
production “Baab El-Hara” — “The Neighborhood Gate” — offers high
drama focused on a family feud. A man and his pregnant wife are
separated as their mothers fight it out, with each mother-in-law trying
to teach the other a lesson.

The woman misses her husband and
wants to go back to him. The husband kisses his mother’s hand and
promises her he’ll do only what she wants.

The soaps showcase
social traditions mixed with melodramatic characters and enough twists
and turns of events to last the entire month of fasting.