Moulids (birthdays) are celebrations of saints and sainthoods, and are held on a periodical basis round the shrine of a wali (saint) considered once to have a pious worshipper of God. Alexandria’s most famous shrine is that of Sidi el Morsi Aboul Abbas (originally from Murcia, Spain, and hence the name El Morsi) and the neighboring shrine of Sidi Yakour el Arsh. Also celebrated with great joy is the Moulid el Nebi, on the occasion of the birth of the Prophet Mohamed. Visitors will flock from the countryside and as far as Upper Egypt, and camp out on the streets of Alexandria next to the Aboul Abbas Mosque. A festive mood prevails and visitors include men, women and children. Once the ritual of visiting the shrine, which often includes the tomb of the wali, is finished, food is distributed. This will be sherbet and bonbon for Moulid Aboul Abbas, just like a wedding, and for the Moulid of Yakout el Arsh it will be rice pudding (roz belaban) and rice with honey and nuts. Fatta (rice, bread, and meat drenched with a garlic and vinegar spicy sauce) would also be handed out to the visitors. In the plaza outside the mosque there will be games and the specialty of the Moulid – moulid sweets made of sugar: a bright pink arousset el moulid doll for the girls, and a bright green boy on horse for the boys. These are what the children look forward to, the equivalent of a little Santa Claus in Christmas.