TAIF: Residents of Taif are engaging in early preparations for the holy month of Ramadan, upholding deeply rooted customs that blend religious devotion with social tradition.

Families are meticulously organizing their homes and stocking up on supplies in anticipation of the communal meals and gatherings that define the month’s spirit of kinship, the Saudi Press Agency reports.

The city’s neighborhoods have taken on a festive character, adorned with traditional lanterns, crescent-shaped lights and star-shaped illuminations.

Historian Dhaifallah Al-Radwani said that these preparations — primarily led by women and children — include the use of traditional fabrics, incense burners and henna.

These rituals serve as a vital link to Saudi cultural heritage, ensuring that authentic community values and aesthetic traditions are passed down to new generations.

On Sunday, the last quarter moon of Shaban was visible across the Kingdom. Half of the moon was illuminated, while the other half remained in shadow, completing roughly three-quarters of its orbit around the Earth.

The last quarter moon draws the attention of amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, offering an ideal angle to observe surface features such as craters, volcanic plains and mountains, with shadows along the terminator enhancing their detail.

Jeddah Astronomy Society Director Majed Abu Zahra said that the last quarter moon marks a key transitional phase. Its visible light gradually decreases, becoming a waning crescent before sunrise, until the new moon on Feb. 17 signals the upcoming sighting of Ramadan’s crescent.