Ramadan, the holy month of the Islamic community, begins on Thursday 17 May. Every Muslim is called to fast from sunrise to sunset.
In the next few days you may often hear the word Ramadan or in class there may be a companion who skips lunch because he has grown old enough to follow the fast. But what is this practice and how does it work?
Holy month
It is the name of the ninth month of the year in the Muslim lunar calendar (which is different from our calendar). And it is considered sacred because according to Islamic tradition, the first verses of the Koran were revealed to the prophet Muhammad during Ramadan.
How is it celebrated?
It is a month of high spirituality where we dedicate ourselves to fasting, prayer and meditation.
Practicing fasting means that you shouldn’t eat or drink anything from sunset to sunrise.
In the evening the fast is interrupted with a glass of water and dinner is followed. So there are two meals a day: the one after sunset and one in the morning before sunrise.
This practice is mandatory for all Muslims, except: children, who, however, as they grow can gradually become accustomed with some small renunciations based on age, pregnant women, who breastfeed during the menstrual cycle, the elderly and the sick.
In addition to fasting, it is important to devote oneself to prayers: at five o’clock daily there is also night prayer, Taraweeh.
When does Ramadan fall?
It is not like our Christmas which is always on the same day, but it depends on the lunar calendar which lasts about ten days less than the Gregorian solar calendar therefore, all Islamic months arrive ten days earlier than the previous year.
In addition, the sighting of the new moon initiates Ramadan. For example, this year in Italy it should have started on May 14, but since the crescent moon has not been sighted here, the Islamic Cultural Center of Italy announced the move on Thursday May 17.
What happens after the last day of fasting?
It is celebrated. The feast that falls at the end of Ramadan is called Eid ul Fitr.
The celebrations begin with the rising of the new moon. During Eid, Muslims wear their best clothes, participate in religious processions, exchange gifts, spend time with their family, eat abundantly and wish each other Eid mubarak, or “good Eid”.
Most of the faithful donate money to charity to make sure that even the less fortunate can celebrate.
Are fasting times the same for everyone?
In theory, Muslims respect the sunrise and sunset times of the country in which they live. In the Nordic countries, however, during the summer the sun sets for a few hours or even never sets. in these cases the faithful respect the Mecca times.
