What is Ramadan? It is considered one of the holiest Islamic months. How does this work in practice? Socially distanced Taraweeh prayers at a mosque in Cairo. How has Ramadan been different this year?
A small iftar meal in London, - lockdown has made large gatherings impossible. What else has changed? What are the rules for places of worship? How are the dates for Ramadan and Eid set? The beginning of Ramadan last year in Delhi, India.
How is the start of Eid determined? Who can fast during Ramadan? Some Muslims are exempt:. Those who are sick or ill and whose health will be affected by fasting Children - although some may begin to practise fasting from a young age Pregnant and breastfeeding women Menstruating women Travellers. What's Eid al-Adha? Related Topics. Need serious help making a plan?
The nutrition experts in our professional membership are ready to help you create the change to improve your life. Find a Nutrition Expert. Tags Health Lifestyle Culture and Traditions. Freshly Picked. That's 11 days shorter than the days of the standard Gregorian calendar. Therefore, the Islamic lunar calendar moves backward approximately 11 days each year in relation to the regular Gregorian calendar.
So that means that the first day of the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, moves backward by about 11 days each year. This has a large impact on how people experience Ramadan from year to year. When Ramadan falls in the winter, it's much easier to fast: the days are shorter, which means you don't have to fast as long, and it's colder out, so not being able to drink water all day isn't as big of a deal because you're not sweating as much. Conversely, when Ramadan falls in the summer, fasting can be brutal.
In many Muslim countries in the Middle East and Africa, summer temperatures can reach levels usually reserved for the deepest bowels of hell. And in some Northern European countries such as Iceland, Norway, and Sweden where, yes, there are Muslims , fasting can last an average of 20 hours or more in the summer. And in a few places above the Arctic Circle, the sun never actually sets in the summer.
In these cases, Muslim religious authorities have decreed that Muslims can either fast along with the closest Muslim country or fast along with Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
There's a reason "Ramadan start date" is one of the most-searched phrases every single year. That's because Muslims around the world do not know when exactly Ramadan is actually supposed to start. If you Google it, you'll see there's a little disclaimer under Google's answer that says "Dates may vary":. That also has to do with the moon — as well as disagreements about science, history, and tradition, plus a bit of geopolitical rivalry.
The beginning of each new month in the Islamic calendar starts on the new moon. Which means the month of Ramadan starts on the new moon. Simple enough, right? If it's been a while since your high school astronomy class, here's a reminder of what the phases of the moon look like:. Back in Mohammed's day, in sixth-century Arabia, astronomical calculations weren't as precise as they are today, so people went by what they could see with the naked eye. Since the new moon isn't actually super visible in the night sky as you can see above , Muslims traditionally waited to start fasting until the small sliver of crescent moon became visible.
There's even a saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed about waiting to start the fast until you see the crescent. Some people think this is why the star and crescent is the symbol of Islam, but the crescent was used as a symbol long before Islam. This method was a bit messy, though, since things like clouds or just the difficulty of spotting the moon in some locations often led to different groups starting their fast on separate days, even within the same country.
Each community, village, or even mosque within the village might send its own guy out to look for the crescent, with rival groups arguing over whether the other guy really saw it. Today, however, we have precise scientific calculations that tell us exactly when the new moon begins, and we don't need to wait until someone spots a tiny crescent in the sky.
In fact, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Islam , "The need to determine the precise appearance of the hilal [crescent moon] was one of the inducements for Muslim scholars to study astronomy. So, problem solved! Except that some Muslim scholars believe we should still wait until the slight crescent moon is visible in the night sky because that's what Mohammed said to do and that's the way we've always done it.
Others argue that Islam has a strong tradition of reason, knowledge, and science, and that if Mohammed were around today, he'd choose the more precise scientific calculations over sending the guy at the mosque with the best eyesight outside to squint at the night sky. To make things even more fun, some argue that the whole world should just follow the official moon-sighting decrees of Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam and the location of its holiest sites.
But not everyone thinks that's such a swell idea — especially rival countries like Pakistan and Iran, which balk at the idea of treating Saudi Arabia as the ultimate authority on anything having to do with Islam. All this means that each year, Muslims around the world get to experience the delightful lunacy of "moon-sighting fighting. For the most part, no. It's also a month of self-reflection and a way for Muslims to develop positive habits that can be brought forward once Ramadan is over.
After a month of fasting, Muslims celebrate with a festival called Eid and wish each other 'Eid Mubarak' Have a blessed Eid. Eid is a social event that is celebrated by having your family, friends and neighbours over for a large feast. Muslims decorate their homes and wear new clothes, and children and the elderly receive gifts or money packets.
While practices vary across the world, Eid is also a time when Muslims seek forgiveness from each other. COVID restrictions have meant Eid celebrations are smaller and socially distanced, but are still meaningful. Before the sun rises, Muslims usually wake up to eat a big meal so that they won't be hungry during the day. Of course, not every Muslim will fast this Ramadan, so don't be too surprised if you see your friend eating during the day.
Children are not required to fast but they're welcome to learn by participating, such as fasting up until lunchtime. And if you can't fast because of health reasons, you can donate food or money to the poor instead.
You may see the phrases "Ramadan Mubarak" and "Ramadan Kareem" on social media. They are festive greetings the same as "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah". While they will probably turn down your lunch invite, you can have dinner together when they break their fast.
Remember, Ramadan is all about coming together, so inviting a person to break their fast with you is a large part of the celebration. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
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