Ramadan

Ramadan started last week. During the month of Ramadan, no one may eat or drink anything while the sun is up (from about 5 am to 6 pm). Nothing at all, not even water. The fast is a time to draw closer to Allah through reflection and prayer. Even non-Muslims are not allowed to eat or drink in public. All restaurants are closed until after sunset. The fast is broken with a meal and prayer each evening. Ramadan is a time to celebrate communally with family and friends. Each evening, entire families gather to feast together. These celebrations last well into the night. After a few hours of sleep, people get up at 3:30 or 4:00 for a quick meal before sun rise. Muslims then return to bed for a few more hours of sleep. The days are much shorter during Ramadan; work starts later and ends in the early afternoon. Life in general relaxes to a much slower pace. Ramadan also has interesting implications for teachers. Children are encouraged to participate in the fasting and prayer starting in fourth grade. Children also attend the nightly celebrations. This means that students are not home to do homework at night and come to school exhausted. The school day is shortened (8:00 to 1:00) to accommodate the different lifestyle. Also, because Islam follows the lunar calendar, Ramadan comes earlier every year. It is still quite hot during the days so going without food and water is even more exhausting. I feel like this month is going to be an interesting experience.