The holy month of Ramadan begins on August 11, 2010, so I thought I would have Cindy Piccolo, who has been to Saudi Arabia twice during Ramadan, tell you about it.
On two of my trips to Saudi Arabia, I visited the country during the holy month of Ramadan. The month is the ninth in the Hejira, or Islamic calendar. Because the Hejira calendar is 11 days shorter than the West’s Gregorian calendar, the dates on which Ramadan falls vary according to the Gregorian calendar. In 2010, Ramadan falls between, likely, August 11 and September 9. (I say “likely” because Ramadan starts and ends when the new moon is sighted; if it isn’t sighted, the month, for religious purposes, does not start/end.)
Ramadan is considered holy, because Muslims believe it is the month in which the Koran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed.
During Ramadan, healthy Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, but children, the disabled, travelers, and those who are physically or mentally ill or pregnant are exempt. The fast, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, includes abstaining from food, drink, smoking, and sex during daylight hours. Muslims are to maintain purity of thought and actions during Ramadan, and challenge themselves with restraint and good works.
While non-Muslims are not required to fast while visiting or working in Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries, and food can be purchased during daytime at the hospital cafeteria and/or restaurant, as well as in occasional hotel restaurants, non-Muslims must avoid publicly eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, etc. During the fast, Muslim staff are allowed to work shorter hours. At the hospitals, Ramadan also means that some departments, such as dentistry, virtually shut down, because people do not want to risk swallowing anything during the treatment.
But though it may not seem so to the non-Muslim eye, Ramadan is also a festive, family time.
After the sunset prayer (Maghrib) rings out from the minarets, and the prayer is complete, it is time to break the fast with the Iftar meal. The fast is traditionally broken with fresh dates – dates, of course, are rich in carbs, fiber, vitamins, and minerals – and water or tea, followed by an actual meal. The large chain hotels in Saudi Arabia put on lavish Iftar buffets, at which Muslims and non-Muslims alike can feast together on delicious Arabic, Asian, meat, fish, vegetarian, and other dishes – not to mention on a wide variety of desserts, including baklava, qatayef (a sort of pancake -- or for the eastern Europeans, a sort of perogie filed with sweet cheese or nuts and drizzled with syrup), and kunafa (also sometimes called qataif or kataif, in this case, a layered dessert, usually made with phyllo, filed with sweet cheese and drizzled with syrup), almond cakes, and more!
I confess, during my last trip in September 2009, after the fourth Iftar in a row, I told my coworker Donna that I couldn’t take it anymore, and for our next dinner, we had to go to a regular restaurant (ideally a nouvelle-cuisine establishment that serves only small portions …).
Ramadan nights bustle with activity – families socialize and people flock to the malls and souqs, which are open extra-late, even into the wee hours of the morning. The holiday Eid al-Fitr (the “Feast of Fast-Breaking”) marks the start of the new month, Shawwal, and it is traditionally a time to give gifts to family and friends. The shopping centers are decked out with glitter, streamers, ornaments, and stars, and almost everything is on sale – often 40% to 60% off.
And because children look forward so much to the celebration of Eid and, of course, their presents, you would understand why one Muslim lady explained to me several years ago that when Eid is delayed because the moon is not sighted, it’s like telling a Christian child on Christmas Eve that Christmas will not come tomorrow.
A Happy Ramadan to everyone – Ramadan Mubarak and Ramadan Kareem!
Cindy Piccolo
August 2010
