By Haeley Huggard
SAGINAW – When it comes to holidays, we think about Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. But one lesser-known holiday that is also celebrated in America is called Ramadan. Many people don’t know what Ramadan is, or if they have heard of it, they may not know how to celebrate or for how long.
Ramadan is a holiday celebrated primarily by Muslims. It is a celebration that consists of prayer, donation, fasting and sharing thanks with loved ones. During this time, children are also given gifts of money or new clothing. To them, it is like Christmas and Thanksgiving combined.
(Haeley Huggard/reporter)
The time Ramadan is celebrated each year depends on the position of the moon. This year, Ramadan will begin roughly around April 24.
What makes Ramadan different from other holidays – aside from the fact that it is celebrated for an entire month – is that everyone fasts from sunrise to sunset. When fasting happens, you are not allowed to have any food or water until the sun has set. There are apps you can use to help keep track of when those exact times are each day, depending on where you live.
One app that is very helpful to use for prayer times is called alQibla. This app shows the prayer times and allows you to set alarms for each of the times.
Pregnant women and small children are not allowed to fast for fear of causing health problems. If a person has any type of health condition that makes fasting dangerous to them, they also are not allowed to fast.
It is also a requirement for women that they do not fast during their monthly menstruation cycle. However, those days missed must be made up any time before the next Ramadan holiday begins.
There are a variety of dishes prepared for nighttime meals, some of which are specially made and only eaten during Ramadan. Luqaimat, which is a handmade bread-ball that is dipped in date syrup, is one of those dishes.
If you do not have time to cook, you can always order food from a restaurant if they are still open.
Typically, during the fasting time (daytime) is when all the meal prep and cooking takes place. That way, all the food is ready to be eaten after Maghrib prayer time. Maghrib prayer time is the prayer that takes place when the sun goes down.
Mofeed Alsadek, an alumni of Saginaw Valley State University, celebrates Ramadan every year.
“Fasting is the hardest when the cooking happens, because you are so hungry,” says Alsadek. “You can smell everything.”
After fasting and cooking all day, comes the time to “break the fast.” This is the time when everyone gathers and has their first meal of the day, hence the term “breakfast.”
Ramadan also serves as a reminder to always be charitable and generous, to give back to your community and help support the less fortunate. Each year, Muslims donate a small portion of their income to charity. The Arabic term for this is “sadaqa,” which, when translated to English, means “charity.”
“Ramadan is not just about food,” says Alsadek. “Lots of people end up gaining weight during this time. Why we fast, is because it also helps us understand how the poor people that cannot afford food feel. It is a reminder to be charitable.”
Ramadan is a time for learning. Fasting serves as an example of how to teach yourself self-control.
“It can be hard to fast at first, if you are not used to it,” says Alsadek. “But after you have completed your first Ramadan, you’ll feel proud of yourself because it’s not easy.”
