Farrah Dar
Community Housing Officer, Johnnie Johnson Housing
Ramadan 2023 – How is Ramadan celebrated
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the name of a month in the Islamic calendar (just like January or February etc…). The Islamic Calendar is Lunar and is based on the sighting of the moon, which means Ramadan falls about 10 days earlier each year. This year the 1st day of Ramadan is predicted to be either on the 22nd or the 23rd of March 2023 depending on the sighting of the moon. We would normally fast for 30 days but sometimes if the moon is sighted early there is a chance of the month ending on the 29th night.
During this month, Muslims all around the world observe a fast in the day light hours. In the summertime the days are longer and therefore the typical day of fasting is about 17/18 hours per day. During the fast you are not allowed to eat or drink anything. Not even water! No mints, gum, smoking or anything of the sort. There are exemptions and many valid reasons why we can skip fasts such as illness, breastfeeding, menstruation and travelling. The elderly and the children are also exempt from fasting.
How is Ramadan celebrated?
Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is expected of all who are able, the point of it is to become better people, not to simply abstain from food or drink. The reward for any good deed in this month is 70 times more than any other time of year and for this reason Muslims tend to engage in more charity work at this time. Even smiling to a stranger is considered as a good deed, so if you see me smiling at you for no reason its not that I’m mad but just me trying to build up my good deeds. Ramadan is not a punishment, a diet or unsafe if done properly. In fact, it is an excellent opportunity to detox. It is great way to test your self-control. For me it is a month of spirituality, to reconnect to my religion, to strengthen my bond not only with my maker but my family too.
Typically, this month is a big time for family, community, and gatherings. We are extra mindful of those people who have no family and are fasting alone, as a family we have been leaving food parcels for friends and neighbours who are less fortunate than us.
What do we do during Ramadan?
- 4:00am – Prepare a light meal for the family
- 5:00am – Pray and go back to bed
- 2:00pm – Afternoon prayers
- 6:00pm – Prepare evening meal (this is a heathy fulfilling meal)
- Sunset – Break fast with a light snack and offer prayers. Eat main meal as a family and relax time
- 11:00pm – Final prayers for the day and then bedtime
Please feel free to eat your meals normally around me, I have been fasting for over half of my life and it doesn’t bother me one bit.
Here are a few pictures of what we eat when we break our fast. Dates and water are a staple on the dinner table. We enjoy our fruit and then dig into our starters.
The end of Ramadan
At the end of Ramadan, we celebrate the festival of Eid. This is a huge celebration, to mark the end of fasting, with lots of food, gifts and visiting family.
“Eid Mubarak” is the common greeting for the occasion and literally means “Happy Eid”.