Ramazaan!

I know all of you were thinking that I spelled that wrong but I didn't... that is how they say it here... Ramazaan!

Ramadan is a special holiday for Muslims in which they fast from sun up to sundown (like 14+ hours!) for a whole month.

The reason for this fasting is because Muhammad fasted for this long before the Quran was given to him. They hope that God would reveal himself also to them.

But not all Muslims give this by the book answer... some say it is in order to get something from God (money, jobs, etc.), others don't even know why they do it. Many do not completely participate- claiming that their work prohibits them (seriously, it can get hot here!), while others take the common practice of not drinking water to the extreme of not even swallowing spit!!!

One thing is certain... once the sun is down... the grub is on!

One day I walked into a grocery store that is usually packed with way too many workers and found that there was no one to help me... I thought maybe they were all walking to prayer like the other men. Then I went to the back and found a whole pack of them throwing down some fried food and drinking sodas! It is tough going all day without food!

But recently I went out to visit my clothes washer (or Dohbi) and they were about to break fast as the sun went down. Even though they know I didn't fast, they insisted that I join them. So it was the 5 of us grown men, huddled around a small plate of fried foods, trying to be polite.

Honestly I think they are too kind, because if I was in their shoes, I would not be able to work and would not think to give food to someone else!

They also have a tradition of getting new clothes on Eid (the end of Ramadan), but few can afford it. I was able to help them get some clothes this year and we plan to visit their house for the holiday!

I brought them some cold water from the fridge and we had a good time. May God reveal himself to them in His time!