A sea of Lebanese wave Hizbullah yellow flags and other Lebanese parties' flags during a Hizbullah 'victory over Israel' rally.

TYRE, Lebanon —Lebanese Muslims have welcomed the holy fasting month of Ramadan with a sense of pride inspired by the gallant resistance against Israel's military juggernaut and a "victory" speech delivered by emblematic Hassan Nasrallah last week.

In the largely devastated border town of Aita Shaab banners welcoming the start of Ramadan have been erected, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"The victorious south welcomes the holy month of Ramadan," reads one banner at the entrance of the village.

Streets of war-battered southern villages and cities have been also decorated with festoons and colorful flags to welcome Ramadan, which started for Lebanese Sunnis Saturday and Shiites Sunday.

In the border village of Yarine, families began preparing ingredients for Ramadan meals early.

Fadi Al-Bardan, his three sisters and a relative sat around a large table where they are peeling onions, plucking parsley leaves and picking out lentils and wheat grains.

"We are preparing ingredients that we will keep in the fridge. During Ramadan, we have at least 25 people at each Iftar. Ramadan is a time when families sit together, eat together," said Bardan.

With fireworks, balloons and flags of many colours, the Lebanese Friday September 22, celebrated their "victory" against Israel in a massive rally crowned by the emergence of Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah for the first time in public since the start of the war on July 12.

Fireworks shot up in the skies of Beirut's war-battered southern suburbs after Nasrallah delivered a defiant speech lasting more than an hour.

The huge open-air site of the gathering was a sea of yellow Hizbullah flags, alongside the green of Amal, another Shiite group, the orange of Christian leader General Michel Aoun and the red of the communists, as well as Lebanon's own cedar tree-emblazoned national standard.

Hizbullah fighters were not easy meat during the 34-day Israeli onslaught in Lebanon, inflicting heavy losses on the Israeli army and placed Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a tight corner as he came under harsh criticism at home for mishandling the war on Lebanon.

Brighter Conditions

Lebanese are confident that Ramadan would make things better despite the hard times.

"People are unemployed, their homes have been destroyed. It is terribly sad, but we are hoping that the month of Ramadan will make things better," Mohamad Nehmeh, a grocer in the southern port city of Tyre, told AFP.

In front of a demolished house, a man is standing behind a table laden with sweets.

Abbas Srour, a taxi driver who lost his car and his house in the war, decided he could not give up, especially since he has a wife and six children to feed.

He managed to scrounge a portable heater and a large platter and began making and selling special sweets for Ramadan.

A woman clad in a black chador (headscarf) stands near Srour's makeshift sweets shop.

"We went through hard times during the Israeli aggression, we lived in hunger because the Israelis besieged us for weeks," said the woman, who gave her name only as Amal.

"So, we learned to be patient when faced with hunger. It was like fasting for Ramadan. We are a nation which has been trained to be patient in order to overcome all kinds of hardships," she said.