Ramadan Kareem! The ninth month of the Islamic calendar, Ramadan (or Ramzan) is celebrated by Muslims worldwide. During this holy month, after a hearty breakfast, or suhoor, before dawn, the day is spent in penance and fasting. It is broken after sunset with the delicious feasts of the iftar. Ramadan is more than just about fasting. There are some very interesting Ramadan traditions as well. Let’s take a look at some fascinating Ramadan traditions from around the world.
Check Out These 6 Interesting Ramadan Traditions
1Street Criers
Since the days of the Ottoman Empire, those fasting during Ramadan have been woken up by street criers for the pre-dawn suhoor. This tradition continues in many Islamic countries, often with the chosen men donning the traditional attire. The nafar of Morocco, the mesaharaty drummers of Egypt and Turkey, and the sheriwalas of Old Delhi are just a few examples.
2Chand Raat
The sighting of the new moon marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid-ul-Fitr. After the final iftar, hordes of girls and women in Pakistan flock to local bazaars for the Chaand Raat festivities. To prepare for Eid, they buy colourful bangles and paint their hands with henna. Keeping this in mind, many shops stay open late leading to a lively atmosphere.
3Padusan
In some areas of Indonesia, Muslims engage in the purifying ritual of padusan. Occurring the day before Ramadan, this Javanese tradition sees people plunge themselves into springs or pools to cleanse themselves before the holy month of fasting.
4Cannons
Many Middle Eastern countries, cannons are fired at sunset to signal the end of the day’s fast. It is said to have started in Egypt over 200 years ago and is known as Midfa Al Iftar. It is especially prevalent in Qatar and Lebanon where it was recently revived by the Lebanese Army.
5Lanterns
Egypt is famous for many things, and one of these is the use of colourful lanterns, or fanous, during Ramadan. According to legend, Egyptian welcomed the arrival of Caliph Moezz Eddin Allah to Cairo on the first day of Ramadan in the year 969 by lighting hundreds of lanterns. However, it’s unclear how these intricate lanterns actually became a part of Ramadan, but they are more of a cultural tradition than a religious one.
6Gerga’aan
Often compared to the Halloween tradition of trick-or-treating, this celebration sees children don bright traditional clothes and walk around the neighborhood singing traditional songs and collecting sweets. Like many Ramadan traditions, it is shared by many countries across the Gulf. It’s known as gerga’aan in Kuwait and Haq Al Laila in the UAE where it’s celebrated two weeks before Ramadan.
Ramadan Food Traditions
The holy month of Ramadan is followed by following the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). This festival is commemorated by fasting from dawn till sunset.
During Ramadan, it’s necessary to have two meals, namely Suhoor and Iftar. Suhoor is the meal that is consumed before dawn, before beginning the fast. To have a healthy suhoor, it is recommended to eat something nutritious and healthy that gives energy throughout the day and doesn’t make you feel lethargic. Iftar is the meal eaten after sunset to break the fast. It compulsory to break the fast with the consumption of dates because dates give instant energy.
Different cultures have different foods that are typically cooked for Iftar or Suhoor. For instance, in South Asian countries, a typical Iftar meal consists of Samosas, Bhajiyas, Rooh afza sharbat and fruits like watermelon, melon, apple, banana etc.
In Egypt, Khchaf is very commonly consumed. It is a jam made from dates, figs, and other fruits that is commonly consumed in Suhoor. Qatayef is another common food in Egypt that is basically a dessert. It is similar to pancakes that are stuffed with nuts and tastes absolutely delicious!
In Turkey, Baklava is a very popular dish that is eaten not only during Ramadan but during Eid as well. In Uzbekistan, a crispy and buttery bread baked in a traditional tandoor oven, called Patir is commonly consumed during Ramadan. Harira is a soup-like dish from Morocco that is very commonly consumed in Suhoor or at the time of Iftar.
The brioche-like bread called Ma’arouk in Syria is also major delight highly eaten by the fasting people in Ramadan.
Conclusion
The pious festival of Ramadan brings along with it an air of peace and harmony filling everyone with love and heartfelt gratefulness. The idea of this month long festival is to make everyone realise the importance of having patience in life no matter how hard the situation is. The holy month of Ramadan also makes us realise the fact they with every hardship comes ease.
In a nutshell, this unique festival is a lot more than just about celebration. It’s also about filling yourself with positivity, being grateful for the blessings in your life and learning the art of patience. Fasting during Ramadan is not just an act of worship, it’s also a means to empathise with those less fortunate.
So while you indulge in the holy activities and enjoy delectable foods, don’t forget to paint yourself with the goodness of love harmony that this month brings!
FAQs
Ramadan is basically a unique set of traditions that shows the spirit of solidarity among people in the Islamic culture. This highly celebrated festival lasts for a month and is the most sacred time of the year. The holy month of Ramadan is followed by Eid-ul-Fitr.
Eid Al Fitr is celebrated with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm across the world. People adorn their homes with lights and flowers, wear new clothes and prepare sweets. The day starts by offering Eid prayers after which people greet each other by embracing and visit each other’s homes, exchanging gifts and sweets.
Ramadan is highly celebrated in a lot of countries including Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Indonesia to name a few.
A lot of countries across the world celebrate Ramadan including India, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Indonesia etc.
Dubai’s vibe gets very different in Ramadan. The pace of life changes in Dubai during this holy month. During this month, most of the businesses work for fewer hours so that they can give more time to prayers. Visitors can visit Dubai during this month if they want to experience the holy vibe of this place.
The word Ramadan literally means ‘intense best’. This word denotes the scorching heat in the summer month. It was a part of the pre-Islamic Arab calendar way before Islam came to Mecca, which is the holy city in today’s Saudi Arabia, in the seventh century. In 624 CE, the first ever Ramadan was observed in the city of Medina in today’s Saudi Arabia, as per the Gregorian calendar.
Fasting period depends on the number of daylight hours which is different across the countries. However, people living in the southernmost countries, like Chile or New Zealand, will fast for about 12 hours, which is the shortest. On the other hand people living in northernmost countries, like Iceland or Greenland, will have fasts lasting for more than 17 hours.
Ramadan is the holy month during which Muslims observe fast from dawn till sunset. While observing fast, Muslims not only refrain from eating anything but are also not allowed to drink water.
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims observe fast from dawn till sunset during which they are not even supposed to consume water. They break the fast after sunset, the act of which is called Iftar. Before starting the fast, Muslims eat before dawn to keep themselves energised throughout the day. It’s called Suhoor. Apart from fasting, Muslims recite the Holy Qur’an and offer special prayers called Taraweeh.
Eid Ul Fitr, is the festival that is celebrated after Ramadan. It’s an important religious holiday that is highly celebrated by the Muslims across the world. This festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and is one of the two major holidays celebrated by Muslims, the other one being Eid Ul Adha.
