Eid Al-Fitr

Some of you may have been wondering how I could have let the whole month of Ramadan pass without writing about it! Since I haven’t been the best at keeping you up to date with the religious happenings here in Syria, I’ll backtrack a little.

The beginning of October brought with it the start of Ramadan. Based on the Islamic lunar calendar, the start of this Muslim holy month corresponds with the first appearance of a sickle moon. Since the Islamic calendar differs from the western calendar, Ramadan falls during a different time of the Western calendar every year.

Many Muslims fast during daylight hours in Ramadan (from 4am to about 4:30 pm this time of year). Since Syria is a predominantly Muslim country, there are cannons that go off to mark both the start and end of the fasting period each day. Each evening the fast is broken by a meal called Iftar, literally meaning break fast. This is an extravagant meal with lots of sweets and fried goodies which are only eaten during Ramadan. Many people also eat dates at the end of their fast, as they are good for giving a quick sugar boost.

The end of Ramadan is marked by a 3-day festival called Eid Al-Fitr. We had a much-anticipated four-day holiday from the University, and the streets were filled with fun parks for children, eating, laughing and shopping (some things are the same across cultures!). We also had a lovely Eid lunch at a friend’s house. We know her from the university – she is an English citizen whose parents are both from Bangladesh, and who became a strict Muslim during her college years. She brought her three children here to Syria this year so they can learn Arabic and garner the benefits of living in a Muslim society. It was a very interesting cultural experience to be a part of her family’s Eid celebrations, which were strictly segregated between the sexes. I got to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, but I was just as happy to snack on the yummy leftovers!