Ramadan is a 4 week Islamic event where people abstain or fast from all eating, drinking of any beverage, smoking, sex to cleanse the body and honor god from sunup to sundown. In Wikipedia is notes this is to "teach patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God". I have been told numerous things by people as to why they practice fasting. One was to experience what it is like to be hungry, poor. I thought this was noble. Read more on the Internet to understand the event. I am just going to express my experience here.
Seems to me most Moroccans I have met do fast, some for their parents, some for themselves and some for religious observance. Everything is very quiet in the mornings now. Most people sleep late and do not work until the afternoon. Some construction work can be heard throughout the city but seems to be limited as you cannot drink in the hot sun and would get dehydrated, which is not good for your health. All the cafes where men usually drink coffee all day are closed till the afternoon. The cafes start opening up around 3:00 in the afternoon but people just come and sit, they do not buy anything as everyone is fasting till about 7:30 when the sun goes down and you hear the call to prayer to end fast. Then everyone goes home to eat and returns to the cafe after "Break Fast".
I have read that each of the 30 days of Ramadan followers read 1/30 of the Koran so that at the end of the period the entire Koran has been recited. At the mosque next door I hear followers chanting or reciting for long periods of time. Many more people are attending service than normal.
People get hungry, thirsty and the smokers especially get irritable. This would be a good time to quit smoking. The alcohol store is closed before Ramadan and during the 30 days of Ramadan. Not sure when it opens back up. In the large shopping stores, Mar Jane, they take all the booze, box it up and remove it from the floor, or cage that section off.
Breaking fast at sunset is a big event and people invite others over to join them. I have been invited to about 10 Break Fasts (Iftar). It is always buffet style with lots of food. Typical food at most Iftars has been schbeqia (a honey and cookie like pastry), zemeta (a granular nut and sugary type powder), dates, juice, milkshake, Harira (Moroccan soup), hard boiled eggs, flat bread and bread. You are suppose to start eating with three dates.
Of course coffee and tea are a part of every meal.
Giving alms or helping the poor is part of Ramadan and there are more beggars evident on the street than normal. People may come up to your door and knock, asking for food. You make them a plate and give it to them to eat.
Many people do not travel during Ramadan and some of the buses are not on regular schedules.
I found it easy to not eat food during the day but did drink water. Maybe next year I will try to observe it better, or maybe I will travel. lol. Inshallah.
Seems to me most Moroccans I have met do fast, some for their parents, some for themselves and some for religious observance. Everything is very quiet in the mornings now. Most people sleep late and do not work until the afternoon. Some construction work can be heard throughout the city but seems to be limited as you cannot drink in the hot sun and would get dehydrated, which is not good for your health. All the cafes where men usually drink coffee all day are closed till the afternoon. The cafes start opening up around 3:00 in the afternoon but people just come and sit, they do not buy anything as everyone is fasting till about 7:30 when the sun goes down and you hear the call to prayer to end fast. Then everyone goes home to eat and returns to the cafe after "Break Fast".
I have read that each of the 30 days of Ramadan followers read 1/30 of the Koran so that at the end of the period the entire Koran has been recited. At the mosque next door I hear followers chanting or reciting for long periods of time. Many more people are attending service than normal.
People get hungry, thirsty and the smokers especially get irritable. This would be a good time to quit smoking. The alcohol store is closed before Ramadan and during the 30 days of Ramadan. Not sure when it opens back up. In the large shopping stores, Mar Jane, they take all the booze, box it up and remove it from the floor, or cage that section off.
Breaking fast at sunset is a big event and people invite others over to join them. I have been invited to about 10 Break Fasts (Iftar). It is always buffet style with lots of food. Typical food at most Iftars has been schbeqia (a honey and cookie like pastry), zemeta (a granular nut and sugary type powder), dates, juice, milkshake, Harira (Moroccan soup), hard boiled eggs, flat bread and bread. You are suppose to start eating with three dates.
Giving alms or helping the poor is part of Ramadan and there are more beggars evident on the street than normal. People may come up to your door and knock, asking for food. You make them a plate and give it to them to eat.
Many people do not travel during Ramadan and some of the buses are not on regular schedules.
I found it easy to not eat food during the day but did drink water. Maybe next year I will try to observe it better, or maybe I will travel. lol. Inshallah.
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