Ramadan gets own Twitter emoji, hashtag

The Arabic hashtag Ramadan Kareem is trending on Twitter, and the holy month this year has got its own crescent emoji on the social media site. The hashtag has been used over 20,000 times.
Twitter users exchanged their wishes to one another, expressing their excitement over the new emoji.
Ramadan-related jokes were surely part of the trend. Users shared the things they will be missing throughout the holy month with descriptive details (i.e the first sip of the morning coffee or the sight of a cigarette smoke). They predicted the fasting experience during this year's long hours and summer heat.
Others took the chance to show their solidarity with conflicted nations in the Middle East. They urged helping the needy and remembering refugees in their prayers. Pictures from Palestine, Iraq and different Arab countries were published along with prayers and wishes.
One item remains the holy month's anticipated hero: the dates. Given the tradition of breaking fast over dates in Ramadan, the sight of the sweet fruit is expected to be prominent over the coming days.  
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com