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The month of Ramadan

Ramadan falls on a different date every year, due to the cycles of the moon. This year Ramadan will start on the evening of 11th March and will end on 9th April, depending on the first sighting of the new moon.

We celebrate Ramadan, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars include our declaration of faith, prayer, Ramadan (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage) and the act of giving money to charity. As part of Ramadan, for one month we must fast and the purpose of this is to give us an appreciation of the food that God has given and to help us understand what it is like for people who have to go without. Fasting allows us to come closer to our religion because it enables us to pray more and to think about others. It also strengthens our connection with God.

During this month, we get up early for the morning meal before dawn, known as suhoor or sehri. We do not eat or drink anything (including water) until we break our fast after sunset for the evening meal, called iftar. There are exceptions for pregnant women or people who have health concerns, where they are not expected to fast. There can also be other concessions, for example, if someone feels they need to eat a particular meal to complete an exam, then they can give money to charity instead.

Eid

At the end of Ramadan, the festival of Eid al Fitr takes place which translates as "the festival of the breaking of the fast”. This lasts for one day (but some people may enjoy their celebrations over 3 days).

In our family, food and new clothes shopping is done in advance and we count down to the Eid day with excitement! It’s kind of the Muslim version of Christmas, in the sense that it's a religious holiday where everyone comes together for big meals with family and friends.

The morning of Eid day, we go to the mosque for prayer. Once the Eid prayer is finished, we wish everyone "Eid Mubarak" (this means blessed feast/festival).

Usually, we start our Eid celebrations by eating a type of dessert called Sheer Khurma, which is a sort of vermicelli pudding made of milk, nuts, dates and sugar. In our family, we like to eat this before we go to the mosque. Once everyone returns from the mosque, everyone begins to eat! This can start from lunchtime and can go on all day! Every time you visit someone’s home, you will be offered food! This can include rice, chicken and lamb, as well as many other foods.

For me, what I enjoy the most about Eid, is that this is a time to celebrate with family and friends.