- It is the 9th month of Muslim Calendar; which is based on the lunar calendar. This means that it changes every year so next year it will start mid-August. Not a great time to be fasting when it is a million degrees out. :)
- Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and this includes water. At sunset (around 6:00 pm) they eat, drink and visit with friends. They will also get up before sunrise to eat (around 5:00am). And by drink I mean non-alcholic beverages since we are in one of four dry countries in the world! YIKES!
- During Ramadan people are expected to be more generous and just generally better people. It is also intended to give people an idea of what it is like to go without and empathize with the poor.
- School schedules are shortened during Ramadan...my kids are very slow and tired this month.
- All resturants and coffee shops are closed and many businesses have short/strange hours
- In Kuwait it is against the law to eat or drink in public during this month and if you are caught you could be put in jail. This is not the case in all Muslim countries.
- Little ones are allowed to eat and drink in public and it just depends on the family when children start fasting for Ramadan.
- Ramadan ends with the Eid celebration which is four days of families gathering together to celebrate. The kids are telling me that I should definitely not assign any homework over Eid since it is similiar to Christmas break. Should probably check into that one with some other teachers.
- The Call to Prayer sounds from the Mosques five times a day. It is surprising how quickly you get used to hearing it. People do not drop to the ground to pray and students do not get to leave the classroom to pray. It is simply a reminder that they should pray and there is a Mosque at the school where students can go pray at lunch or after school. Luckily, we do not live right beside a Mosque as the call is quite loud and the first call sounds at around 4:00 a.m. I have included a picture (a little blurry) of the Mosque near our house lit up at night. Zoe calls it a castle. The second picture is the Mosque at the school.
I have included an article about Ramadan that I think does it more justice than my point form list. Read on if you are interested.
Ramadam Kareem! (or Happy Ramadan)
More than one billion Muslims around the world welcomed the start of the holy month of Ramadan on September 1st. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar marks a time when Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other indulgences in order to renew their devotion to God. The month is meant to not only allow Muslims to identify with those starving across the world but to teach self-restraint and patience. Ramadan provides an opportunity for both Muslims and non-Muslims to uncover their similarities in human nature and experiences. The days of Ramadan are filled with blessings; Muslims believe that every good deed done in the month will be multiplied and that it's imperative to engage in acts that are beneficial spiritually, as in reading and pondering the words of the Quran, as well as contributing to the well-being of the community through charity. Fasting is required for those who are physically and mentally able and is marked by the abstention of food and drink form sunrise to sunset. The word Ramadan is derived from the Arabic root word ramida or ar-ramad meaning an intense scorching heat; when used in the context of Ramadan fasting, it indicates the heating sensation in the stomach
that comes about due to thirst. The lack of sustenance is not always the most difficult aspect of the fast; for many, the accompanying behaviors—abstaining from lying, refining one's manners, being more charitable and disciplining one's self—are the toughest to maintain. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that if a person does not avoid false talk and false conduct while fasting, then God does not care if he abstains from food and drink. In a society of excess, fasting provides a breath of fresh air. It is an opportunity to rejuvenate our spirits and cleanse our souls from the frivolousness that is present in our daily lives. These journeys of introspection, spiritual cleansing, and charity are not unique to Ramadan but prevalent across all religious traditions. Many Christians exhibit their self-control during Lent, and establishing harmony within the soul and body is stressed in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It is this that highlights the true beauty of Ramadan: the ability to unite communities and to encourage an attitude of peace and generosity. When we fast, we are members of a community of more than a billion people who are all engaging in the same spiritual purification. But we are also a part of a larger community that is trying to find the meaning in our lives, increase charity, and accept social responsibility.
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/09/13/OpinionColumns/
Ramadan.Brings.Beauty.Meaning.And.Community-2965398.shtml
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