I did not post an entry about Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, because I could not spare the time to record all that loomed in my head about it. I will share a little of my memories of the month and perhaps inform you of some of its aspects.

In the month of Ramadan Muslims obey Allah by carrying out a special sort of worship called “Siam” or “fasting”. They do so by refraining from eating or drinking from the dawn of each day until sunset, for a period of 29 or 30 days, depending on the duration of the lunar month.
Ramadan was the month in which the Glorious Quran was first sent down to Prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him.

I have personally been brought up in a house that highly respects Ramadan. To bring you a more in depth look at how things normally run in our house during the holy month, I will relate some details.

It is customary for us, in Ramadan, to wake up at around 3:30 a.m. to eat. Now some people eat before they sleep and that is fine. But certain blessings are said to exist in the “dawn” meal, known as “Sohour” in Arabic. So we eat a little, think of it as a very early breakfast, and then some pray and others read some verses of the Glorious Quran, then all retreat to their beds for a brief sleep.

I realize that some find the actual act of fasting to be tiring. Some, who have not tried it, think it impossible. I respect all opinions but I do not think it is that hard. It makes you regard things differently, and appreciate the blessings of your life. It even helps you reflect on how people, who cannot afford the many things you have, manage.

A day in Ramadan is a regular day. One goes about one’s business and all the mundane details attached to that. When the day is almost over, families gather up and start preparing for the meal that will “break” their “fast. In our house my mother cooks, I prepare the table necessities and such, and we solemnly wait for the proper time when we can eat.

Once the sunset prayer is called for, it is time to eat. People often make the mistake of eating too much once they’re allowed to, this causes a number of problems. One should drink a little water and eat a date or two, perhaps have some hot soup. Moderation in all things is wise.
At home we normally drink a little water, and some have a date. I don’t because I don’t like dates,they’re too sweet for my taste. Then we leave the table and pray together. This gives time for our bodies’ systems to get back on track and prepare for the upcoming meal.

A story that my mother repeats often in Ramadan is of my fear of the “Msahharati”. That is a person who roams the neighborhoods at night with a drum in his hand. He strikes the drum and chants a few words to rouse people from their sleep, so they would eat and pray. This profession still exists in some areas despite the fact that usage of alarm clocks has been largely adopted.
The story has it that I, as a child, would be scared stiff when the Msahharati arrives. I would call him ” Al Tabbal”, meaning “the drummer”. So much for an elegant title.
I can gladly announce that now I have overcome my fear of Al Tabbal who walks the streets at night with a drum in his hand.

This is how the days of Ramadan fly by. The very first day after the month’s end is called Eid Al Fitr, which literally means: “The festival of breaking the fast”. The event lasts three days during which the month’s fasting is celebrated, social visits are exchanged, delicious sweets are made, and money is given to the needy.

Families prepare for the festivity beforehand; buying new clothes, making special schedules as to what gets done and when during the three days of Eid, and my favourite bit of it all, making sweets.

Sweets-making sessions at home are parties in their own rights. We all gather to model the yummies and this is probably the most delightful part of the preparations, in my eyes. It is true that I would rather consume the products than work them but I enjoy it all the same.

My mother has her own line of Eid sweets besides “Mamoul” which is the typical Eid sweet. It is normally stuffed with ground nuts or minced dates, flavoured with cinnamon and other spices. Mother makes little donuts that we cover with chocholate and chopped-soft coconut flesh. She also makes an Arabic sweet named “Ghraibeh”, this is not stuffed with anything but is very nice when it melts in one’s mouth.

As a line of custom, most houses offer Turkish coffee to guests in the days of Eid. They also serve tea or even soda. We do that as well but my mother makes it her job to prepare large quantities of hot cinnamon drink to be served to family and friends. This she makes by getting raw cinnamon sticks and boiling them for a very long time. Sugar is added as desired and so are ground nuts added to the surface of the drink in one’s cup. The smell of cinnamon in the morning of Eid is one of my strongest memories of the event. I wake up to it. Ours is the house where yummies are made.

I should be posting some pictures of the delicacies I mentioned. It would help give those of my readership who have never seen or had the luck of tasting them a better vision. I hope I will be able to do that soon.