Ramadan Kareem!
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pan1
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Happy Ramadhan!! Thanks guy...
Everyone has their own way to celebrate Ramadhan. We have tradition called "Ngabuburit". Its doesnot has any specific activities, it just the way people spend their evening to waiting for iftar (break fast), example like gathering in the town square, playing monopoli with neigborhood or something else.
Yozora said:
Everyone has their own way to celebrate Ramadhan. We have tradition called "Ngabuburit". Its doesnot has any specific activities, it just the way people spend their evening to waiting for iftar (break fast), example like gathering in the town square, playing monopoli with neigborhood or something else.
Celebration is later. Now is Mubarak Kareem - blessed Ramadan. The serious 30-day fasting period with personal limitations that started yesterday in the UAE. The "Moon Committee" - experts on pinpointing daylight timings, decide on the daylight hours of each day.Yozora said:
During that period no one is to drink, eat, or smoke, they're to think only kind thoughts, commune with family and friends, and do good deeds. That's why you will also see huge line ups of people at sheikh's palaces here at end of the fasting day. Not so much beggars, more like the sheikhs want to show their good deeds and bestow their alms on every one. That usually happens at Ifthar - end of fasting day - and you'll find many businesses having huge tables laid out with Ifthar snacks in the spirit of generosity and giving.
At end of fasting day one gets the breaking of the fast that is called Ifthar. It is a light supper consisting of special light food, fruit juices, dates, obviously lots of water, small pastries etc. Then maybe a couple or more hours later huge dinner. Like a real meal. You can imagine the women have to work quite hard during Ramadan to do all of the food shopping and preparations, as the ifthar meal in particular involves inviting family and friends over including many expats (me included), never done in small numbers. And the dinner is usually quite large.
Then there is shopping after dinner. Heading to malls and "Ramadan Specials". The shopping malls are open until 1, some to 2 in the morning for serious shopping and eating.
When it gets close to first daylight and prayers the last meal is eaten. Some restaurants are open until that time as well. Like around 3-4 a.m. And then the whole cycle is repeated again for 30 days.
During that period expats in the UAE aren't really allowed to drink water in public, nor eat or smoke. As a sign of respect. So apart from the real heat, not a good time to visit Muslim countries. Which is why hotels usually have special rates. Peculiarity of course is that in countries like Iceland the daylight hours now are 21 hours. So people get to fast for very long hours there.
At the end of the fast - 30 days - at a specific time that the Moonlight Committee decides, the real celebration starts that is called Eid Al Fitr (or Eid Mubarak) that is the annual three-day celebration after the last day of Ramadan. Then the traditional sheep is slaughtered and you see trucks with sheep being transported, or sheep that are tethered in the back yards of locals and some Muslim expats. Then about a month after you get Eid Al Adha two religious holidays. Sometimes extra days are given. Eid al Adha is a "feast of sacrifice" along the lines of Abraham who sacrificed his son. A sheep is slaughtered and apportioned out in a special way.
Here is more information on Ramadan in the UAE:
http://gulfnews.com/guides/life/ramadan/features/ramadan-2015-everything-you-need-to-know-1.1528649
Good part for us is that there are shorter working hours during the day. The not so good part is that people are driving without water or food, so driving is at its absolute worst. Not a good thing to be out driving during day time.
Eid Mubarak (Eid Al Fitr) and Eid Al Adha are usually great times for taking holidays here. Also great for shopping for specials. Almost like boxing day (26 Dec), but just longer over here. UAE is definitely a shopping Mecca all of the time, but particularly great deals to be found during Ramadan and the celebration period of Eid Al Fitr.
The above is in the UAE. Different Muslim countries may have different moonlight timings. They may also call things differently. May not be as serious about certain things as others. Basic spirit of self-sacrifice, contemplation and generosity of giving are the same however.
