Ramadan: Eid Mubarak!

Eid Mubarak is the equivalent of Christians saying 'Merry Christmas' at Christmas time.  This is the last of a short series of posts on Ramadan

Yesterday was the last day of Ramadan, which means the last day of fasting for my Muslim friends.  The next three days are a holiday, and everyone will be off work, stores will be closed, etc.  Its a little bit like Christmas day, except 3 days long.  Many Bahrainis will be visiting family, giving gifts and relaxing after a month of fasting during the day.

A friend stands under the new moon between fishing traps on the coast

For us, it means that we can eat and drink in public during the day, go to the mall at 5:30pm for a coffee, and know that businesses will return to normal working hours (some businesses are open fewer hours during the day, and more hours during the night, sometimes till midnight or later).

Ramadan: Laylatul Quder

(If you've missed them, I've written three previous posts on Ramadan:  my experience of fasting during Ramadan, the ABCs of Ramadan and the 'fun stuff' of Ramadan.)

Tonight, August 26th, is the Night of Power.  The following is from the Quran:

Surat (chapter) 97
"In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1.  We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:
2.  And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?
3.  The Night of Power is better than a thousand Months.
4.  Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:
5.  Peace! ... This until the rise of Morn!"

Fasting during Ramadan has a spiritual purpose.  In fact, the whole origin of fasting during Ramadan is the belief among Muslims that, during this month, Mohammed received the revelation of the Quran from Gabriel.  The whole process of revelation took many, many years, but it began during Ramadan.  So Ramadan has a special place in all the (lunar) months of the year.

Ramadan: Iftar and other fun stuff

In some senses - and I stress some - Ramadan is comparable to Christmas in the US.  What I mean by that is that, over the month of December, there is a certain festivitity.  Stores have sales, there are decorations, this is a time when people visit family and give gifts (and like Christmas, there is a spiritual element that can get lost, but I'll touch on that in the next post).

Iftar - Iftar is the breaking of the fast.  Sometimes people will invite you over for Iftar.  I imagine that an Iftar event varies as widely as Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner does for people in the America.  However, there seem to be some certain similarities among Iftars.  Often the fast is broken with dates and labna (a drink that is half-way between milk and yoghurt).   The dates give some sugar to the body and its a relatively light snack to ease the stomach back into eating after not eating all day.

There are also Iftar tents set up all over Bahrain.  These are large tents often outside of 'local' (as opposed to foreign chains like Chilis or Applebees) restaurants and coffee shops.  I went to an Iftar tent a long time ago, and basically its a large buffet that opens after the breaking of the fast.  There are lots of tables and Arabic couches (

Family - I think that Bahrainis are more family oriented in general (often Friday is a day for visiting extended family), and Ramadan is even MORE so.  Instead of just Friday, one might spend 3 or 4 nights a week visiting various extended family.  Sometimes it is for the Iftar, and sometimes it is for an extended evening.  And so while those in America may spend 2 or 3 days 'putting up with' family, my Bahraini friends often spend the entire

Gifts - A couple of years ago in my economics class, I had the kids record what they spent their money on.  The unit happened to be during Ramadan, and I was surprised to find so much money going towards gifts, or, when recording assets, the new things that were added that were also for gifts.  This is something I don't know a whole lot about - such as when gifts are given.  My Bahraini friends can help me out.

Sales - Where two or more are gathered, some one else will come to sell them stuff.  Stores decorate their doors with signs advertising special sales just for Ramadan.  There are specials on TV for Ramadan, though they are all in Arabic, so I'm not sure if they are specials in the vein of Charlie Brown Christmas Special.  I imagine some of my Muslim friends would bemoan the way that commercialism has overshadowed Christmas (and even Easter) as celebrating the birth and resurrection of Jesus.

My Bahraini friends - are there other things that you would like to add about the fun side of Ramadan?  Send me a FB message, an email or give me a call and I can add (or write a new post if there's enough stuff).

Next week I'll post something about the spiritual side about Ramadan.

Ramadan: The ABC's

In the last post, I talked about my own experience of fasting during Ramadan.  In this post, I'd like to give just a brief overview of what Ramadan is, using the 5 basic questions that I'm sure appear in some elementary or middle school English curriculum:  how, who (and who does not), when, where, why, and what (else).

How:  How do Muslims Fast?

• from sunrise (around 4am) till sunset (around 6:30pm), Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during those hours.  It's not as easy as it sounds, if you are on your regular work schedule. 

Who:  Who fasts during Ramadan?

When I Fasted For Ramadan - A True Story

When I first moved to Bahrain, everything was new and exciting - the classic first stage as someone enters a new culture.  I loved the food, the music, went to various events, had a great time with my students and couldn't get enough of Bahrain.  (I still like all those things, but its just... different, now).

So when Ramadan came around in November, I decided to participate.  I got up before the first call to prayer (4:30am or so) to eat some breakfast, and then went the rest of the day without eating, until about 5:30 or so when the sun sets.  The call to prayer was the signal that the fasting ended, and since there are mosques literally on every corner, it is easy to know when you can begin eating.

Three Years and Two Babies Ago...

...I married the best man I could find.  The past three years married to Josh have by far been the best three years of my life.  God answered (and continues to answer) all the things I prayed for in a husband; someone who is godly, kindhearted, compassionate, adventurous, loves children, adores me, and is exceptionally good looking.

Josh's parents have been married over 30 years and his grandparents have been married over 60 years, so I am joyfully looking forward to many many more years of adventure in my marriage to this wonderful man.

Happy Anniversary!