Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day of this month Muslims fast (no eating or drinking) from sunrise till sunset. Ramadan to muslims is a time to purify the soul, refocus on god and practice/ learn self-sacrifice. It isn’t just about not eating or drinking. It is about making peace with those who have wronged us, clean up our feelings, thoughts and quit bad habits. The Arabic word for “fasting” is Sawm which literally means “ to refrain” not only from food and drink but from evil action, thoughts and words.

Ramadan in the streets creates an incredible feeling of warmth and happiness that is undeniable. When you see the streets decorated with special lantern called “Fanous”,you feel like everything just lightens up literally and figuratively. The Fanous can be lit by candles that are put inside it or just electric ons with a plug or batteries, The Fanous comes in different sizes and shapes from cartoon characters to just shapes that light up.Then paper cut outs in the shapes of crescents, triangles and other shapes that get hung up on the streets. Light bulbs in different colours and arrangements light up the streets. Before muslims start fasting, they usually eat to fuel up and people might be asleep before the sunrise so there is person who is called the “drummer”. That person is just someone who volunteers to get a drum from somewhere and go make noise in the streets an hour before sunrise so people can wake up. It is really fun because sometimes people go down and start singing songs that sound really good. Ramadan this year starts on the 18th of June and every year it moves up on the calendar by approximately ten days. Ramadan karim!