Ramadan Kareem!

Around the end of the second week of this trip, the month of Ramadan began here in Jordan. For Muslims, Ramadan celebrates the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad and it is observed by fasting from sunup to sundown. In Jordan, eating and drinking in public during daylight hours is prohibited and most restaurants and shops are closed. Ramadan affected some of our day-to-day activities – such as going out for shwarma at lunchtime – but it’s also allowed us to see the holy month practiced in its entirety.

The sun goes down in Jordan around 7:57p.m. Every night around that time, a cannon shot sounded to signal the beginning of iftar or the breaking of the fast. Traditionally, the fast is broken with dates and water. Packaged dates and sealed cups of water are available in most places for this purpose.  

We’ve gone out a couple times as a group for iftar. The restaurants are usually packed, but no one begins eating until the prayer ends. Then, the feasting begins. Muslims here will have iftar and then a few hours later, they will have suhoor, which is the meal they eat before the sun rises.

In the U.S., Ramadan is still widely practiced by Muslims. But since we are not a predominately Islamic society, it’s not the huge cultural event that the majority of the city participates in. There are signs wishing everyone a “Ramadan Kareem” everywhere. Special Ramadan products and sales are all over the malls.

At night, when we’re out and about, we see large numbers of people going around enjoying delicious food, going shopping, and spending time with family and friends. It’s been a very educational experience being in a Middle Eastern country for Ramadan. It’s given me an entirely new perspective on the way Muslims celebrate one of their most treasured holidays.