رمضان كريم
Pronunciation: Ramadan Kareem
Translation: "have a generous Ramadan" This phrase is used to wish others happiness during the holy month of Ramadan. I've been saying "Ramadan Kareem" to my host family, taxi drivers, and staff at my school. At first, I was a little bit nervous about being in Morocco during Ramadan because of the food situation and other things people warned me about. In reality though, I'm loving it more than pre Ramadan. It reminds me of Christmas in the United States. It's the big holiday of the year with good food, family and charitable moods. The only difference is that the religion is more ritual in praying and more public with it since the majority of the population is Muslim. I want to give you a taste of a typical day in Ramadan because it's so different than anything else. You hear call of prayer five times a day in each city, television shows are dedicated to Ramadan during the month (History specials, comedy skits, soap operas) , businesses close during the day especially cafes and restaurants. Women dress more modestly if they didn't already during the month out of respect and prayer is frequently spoken aloud. You should avoid eating/drinking in public if you are not fasting because it is considered rude to those who are. Every night I usually get home an hour before Ftour (Breakfast to break fast or "dinner".) My host Mom and sister are in the kitchen preparing the meal which is usually the same staple dishes every night. Then call of prayer goes off at about 7:30 and my host Mom and sister pray right in front of the dinner table. They break fast first though usually by eating a date and drinking some milk before they pray. My host Dad, brother and I begin to eat silently and wait to talk after they are finished praying. My host Mom and sister go to the Mosque every night during Ramadan, they wear beautiful jillabas and hijabs before they leave the house. My host Mom is nothing but accomodating, even though she is exhausted from fasting she still wakes up every morning and puts out my breakfast for me. I'm so honored to be able to share this experience with my host family and be able to understand the spirtitual practices behind Ramadan. It's really a cool feeling to understand something from personal experience, not from reading it in a book or from word of mouth. It has given me a whole new perspective on Islam and the month of Ramadan.
Pronunciation: Ramadan Kareem
Translation: "have a generous Ramadan" This phrase is used to wish others happiness during the holy month of Ramadan. I've been saying "Ramadan Kareem" to my host family, taxi drivers, and staff at my school. At first, I was a little bit nervous about being in Morocco during Ramadan because of the food situation and other things people warned me about. In reality though, I'm loving it more than pre Ramadan. It reminds me of Christmas in the United States. It's the big holiday of the year with good food, family and charitable moods. The only difference is that the religion is more ritual in praying and more public with it since the majority of the population is Muslim. I want to give you a taste of a typical day in Ramadan because it's so different than anything else. You hear call of prayer five times a day in each city, television shows are dedicated to Ramadan during the month (History specials, comedy skits, soap operas) , businesses close during the day especially cafes and restaurants. Women dress more modestly if they didn't already during the month out of respect and prayer is frequently spoken aloud. You should avoid eating/drinking in public if you are not fasting because it is considered rude to those who are. Every night I usually get home an hour before Ftour (Breakfast to break fast or "dinner".) My host Mom and sister are in the kitchen preparing the meal which is usually the same staple dishes every night. Then call of prayer goes off at about 7:30 and my host Mom and sister pray right in front of the dinner table. They break fast first though usually by eating a date and drinking some milk before they pray. My host Dad, brother and I begin to eat silently and wait to talk after they are finished praying. My host Mom and sister go to the Mosque every night during Ramadan, they wear beautiful jillabas and hijabs before they leave the house. My host Mom is nothing but accomodating, even though she is exhausted from fasting she still wakes up every morning and puts out my breakfast for me. I'm so honored to be able to share this experience with my host family and be able to understand the spirtitual practices behind Ramadan. It's really a cool feeling to understand something from personal experience, not from reading it in a book or from word of mouth. It has given me a whole new perspective on Islam and the month of Ramadan.
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