May 20, 2019
Whilst most are aware that the holy Muslim holiday of Ramadan is currently taking place, there are a number of aspects of the holiday that some people in the UK are still unaware of. After all, the holy month is about much more than simply fasting.
It is true that fasting between sunrise and sunset for thirty days is the central focus of Ramadan, and something that jumps to mind first when people start talking about it. People have a lot of questions about this holy month, so here we share a number of things about Ramadan that you may not know:
When the sun goes down, Muslim families will generally gather together or join other families to break their fast and enjoy their first meal of the day. They also must wake up early, with some waking up around 3:00 or 4:00am to have breakfast together before the sun rises and their day begins.
Eating in this way gives families who otherwise may not be able to find time to eat many meals together as a family some important time to share.
Ramadan doesn’t occur at the exact same time each year. The holiday is actually determined by the lunar calendar, which brings the start day forwards by a few days each year. Over time Ramadan will switch from summer months, where days are longer, hotter and much more difficult to fast through into winter months where days are cooler and there are much less daylight hours to get through before the fast can be broken.
A long day without food is difficult, but it is made much harder by the fact that during Ramadan, Muslims aren’t allowed to drink anything either. When Ramadan falls in the middle of a hot summer, like it did in 2018, it can become extremely difficult, even dangerous for some to get through their working day.
As there are some added dangers to fasting, especially during summer, there are a number of people who are exempt from fasting: the elderly, pregnant woman and young children are exempt as well as anyone with a medical condition that fasting may exacerbate. As children get older they often seen taking part in a half-day fast and a lot of pregnant women or elderly family members who can’t take part in the fast are commonly known to donate one meal from their day to those less fortunate than themselves.
Our opening times at Royal Nawaab’s halal restaurant in London have changed to accommodate the holy month. Please check our website for our new opening and closing schedule.
