Ramadan 1442 (2021)
It's Ramadan again! I thought I would share with you what this is all about.
Ramadan is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar. For 29 or 30 days, Muslims (followers of Islam) will fast during sunrise and sunset. This means no food or drink at all during daylight hours. These times are in accordance with prayers, which are released by the local mosque.
In the UK, the more north you go, the later the sunset, so the later the fast closes. The more south you go, the earlier the sunset, so the earlier the fast closes. For example, if you are in London for a fast, you would open it earlier, as you have to follow the local area you are in at sunset.
When you open/close your fast, you can eat food to fuel yourself. There are a variety of options, as different cultures serve different dishes. It is custom to eat dates to open the fast for Muslims. In my house, we eat pakoras, samosas and finger food bits when opening the fast at iftaar. Many people tend to eat fruit as well, because of the valuable nutrients. Water is also key as you aren't able to hydrate during the day. At suhoor, you tend to eat breakfast items, such as cereal, porridge or toast. The best options are carbohydrates with slow-releasing energy, but of course, when you are hungry, you may eat whatever you want depending on your mood.
Ramadan has a lot to do with food (or lack of) because it is a challenge. Many people in other countries do not have access to food, and fasting reminds us of how lucky we are to have essentials. It is also a pillar of Islam and is mandatory for all Muslims (excluding the young, the elderly, the pregnant and travellers/ill). The focus in this month is on praying and being the best version of yourself by being kind and charitable.
The celebration comes after 29 or 30 days - the uncertainty is because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle. On the night of the 29th fast, if the moon is spotted, Eid will be the next day. If it is not spotted, there will be a 30th fast and Eid will be the day after. This is why Eid is on different days for people - this year, Saudi Arabia began fasting one day before my fasts began, so for our Eids to be on the same day, my local mosque would have to declare a moon sighting and 29 fasts on Wednesday 12th May, and Saudi would have to have no moon sighting and 30 fasts on Tuesday 11th May. This is exactly what happened last year and is extremely rare for all mosques to have Eid on the same day everywhere in the world. Ramadan this year began on Wednesday 12th April, so Eid will be on either Thursday 13th May or Friday 14th May, with Muslims finding out at sunset the day before. On Eid, you tend to wear new clothes, give money to charity and cook rich foods. This Eid is known as little Eid or Eid-ul-Fitr, which means 'Festival of Breaking the Fast'. Eid is essentially equivalent to Christmas.
Happy Ramadan! We are halfway through with today being the 15th fast. I hope everyone has a good month of reflection and peace.
*This is an image of dates, the popular fruit used to break a fast
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