Ramadan is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar. Muslims observe it all over the world as a period of fasting (sawm), one of the five pillars of Islam, from sun-up to sundown. It is a sacred period of reflection, worship and self-improvement, as well as a time for families and friends to come together.
Following the Hijri calendar, the start date of Ramadan is approximately ten days earlier each year on the Gregorian calendar. As Ramadan is called by the moon-sighting committee in Saudi Arabia at the appearance of the new moon, exact dates cannot be given until the night before. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday April 12 and run until Wednesday May 12, when three days of Eid Al-Fitr will be celebrated.
Every day throughout the month of Ramadan, from dawn, followers will abstain from eating and drinking until sunset, or iftar, when they can break their fast. In the UAE, it means practising more discretion than usual while out in public, and some minor changes to day-to-day life. This is a special time of year that everyone can enjoy and celebrate, and is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the country’s culture and heritage.
Etiquette
A traditional greeting of “Ramadan Kareem” (have a blessed Ramadan) is polite and will be well-received, while modest dressing must be adhered to. Opt for loose-fitting clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, although it’s fine to wear swimwear around private pools or beaches at hotels.
Non-Muslims aren’t required to fast, but everyone is expected to avoid eating and drinking in public during daylight hours. Many restaurants – especially those within hotels – are open during the day with discreet dining areas for those who are not fasting.
Most workplaces will modify working hours throughout during Ramadan to accommodate the needs of those fasting. You may also find shops have slightly different opening times, with some closed or some opening later in the day and opening later into the night.
Kids
Younger children, especially those under six, are not expected to participate in fasting. Kids between seven and 12 may start to observe fasting for short periods at a time. On reaching puberty participation by all Muslims is required.
This year Ramadan falls during school term time, and so it’s important that school students of all ages understand and respect fasting.
Non-Muslim children are not asked to participate, but they may be asked to eat their lunch in a designated area of the school. Schools will also start later and finish earlier. Opening hours will be advised by individual schools, but are normally restricted to a maximum of six-hour days.
After school clubs are variable depending on who is operating them. Times may be adjusted or they may stop completely.
For younger children who attend nursery or playgroups, you should see no change, though hours may be reduced. You should freely be able to feed a young child when they are hungry and dress them as appropriate for the weather.
Iftar and suhoor
Iftar, which literally means the breaking of the fast, is the meal taken immediately after sunset. This is a time for families to come together and eat a meal. Usually, an immediate snack of water and dates is taken before prayers, followed by a large meal.
Many of the hotels in the UAE put together iftar buffets.
Suhoor is the meal taken immediately before sunrise and fasting commences for a new day, and again many hotels also provide suhoor.
This year, in light of the pandemic, the UAE has outlined some measures to ensure Ramadan can be celebrated as safely as possible.
People are being urged to limit the number of family visits, while only members of the same household can share meals.
Usually you’ll spot family and charitable iftar tents around the emirates, but this year these have been banned due to the pandemic.
In addition, the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) also urges people to avoid distributing and exchanging meals, while the sharing of meals in public places, as well as giving iftar meals in front of homes and mosques is not allowed this year.
Officials are also warning against evening gatherings, adding that donations and zakat should be done electronically.
Eid
There are two Eid celebrations.
Eid al-Fitr is the festival of the breaking of the fast, occurring immediately after Ramadan. It is a time of festivities and daytime feasts for Muslim families, also when people will dress in their new Eid clothes, ladies will have their hair and henna done and gift-giving occurs among other celebrations.
It is a very busy time in the country, and also a public holiday – usually three days but for Government departments, this may be extended to a week.
Eid al-Adha which is approximately 70 days after the end of Ramadan, literally translates to ‘the festival of the sacrifice’. Arafat Day falls first, on the second day of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca – the ninth Day of Dhu Al Hijja on the Hijri calendar. This is immediately followed by Eid al-Adha.
This is another three to four-day public holiday though can be extended to a week also for Government departments and schools.
Ramadan dos and don’ts
Know how to behave with respect around those fasting during Ramadan.
Do… dress appropriately. The UAE already has guidelines in place for dress, especially in public areas such as malls and parks. Be especially considerate of these during Ramadan. Men and women should wear clothes that cover their shoulders and knees.
Do… respect those around you. If you’re not fasting, be considerate and mindful of others who are.
Do… try to avoid the roads at sunset, as they will be busier, since people who are fasting are likely to be travelling at this time to attend iftar. Travel earlier or later if you can.
Do… accept invitations to iftar. Aside from being a wonderful way to experience the UAE’s culture, it’s polite to accept. Do take a small gift for your host, such as a box of dates.
Do… use Ramadan greetings such as Ramadan Kareem.
Do… be charitable. A big part of Ramadan is kindness and helping others. There are lots of official charities in the UAE and causes around the city for you to get involved with.
Don’t… eat, drink, smoke or chew gum in public during daylight hours. This includes on the street, in your car and at the office (check you own office’s rules). Breaking this rule is legally punishable.
Don’t… play loud music in public. If you’re in your car, keep the volume of the radio down. Ramadan is a contemplative time, and you should be mindful of disturbing others.
Don’t… use offensive language or gestures. This isn’t something you should make a habit of anyway, but it’s particularly important to refrain from this during Ramadan.
Expert tips
Founder of The Family Hub, Hanan Ezzeldine, shares her top tips for a positive family Ramadan.
Establish healthy habits
As a parent your kids copy what you do, so make sure you follow healthy habits that you want to encourage in your kids during Ramadan. For example, less fights between siblings, learning how to set the dinner table, helping out in the kitchen, praying, giving back and so on. Set a routine for one to three activities with the kids and be
consistent with the follow-up.
It is important to make sure that they participate in choosing the tasks, that they have enough guidance from you on how to do them and that they can come back to you for support. Consistency becomes key here.
Create a sense of unity
Develop strong habits of communicating during meals and use the opportunity to encourage everyone to eat at the same time. Say no to screens at the table and instead enjoy some lovely family conversations.
Be a role model for good manners
Show your kids that even though you might get irritable while fasting, that you are controlling yourself to become a better person, which is the essence of Ramadan. Skills like giving, anger management and controlling urges are easy wins that the children can grasp easily.
Carry out acts of kindness
This is the perfect time to create simple acts of kindness at home; supporting each other, helping out family members as well as reaching out to help the wider community.
Focus on charity
Support the community and get your children involved. Let them know that it’s not just about money, but also donating good quality things that they own to make others happy.
Celebrate Eid
Go all out for the celebrations. Buy new clothes, get gifts for your friends and family, participate in happy occasions to make sure that everyone benefits. Make it a happy event, and something the whole family can look forward to every year.
Healthy fasting
Founder of Koala Picks, Aya Assaf, gives her expert advice on ways to healthy eating and nutrition for the whole family.
Break your fast with something small
It’s preferable to break your fast with a date because it encourages the digestive system to beprepared for food digestion.
Stay Hydrated
It is very important to make sure you have plenty of water and fluids between iftar and suhoor, to avoid dehydration and fatigue.
Nourish your body
Make sure your iftar meal is made up of healthy nutritious food rather than unhealthy fried food. Eat plenty of protein and healthy fats to keep you full for longer.
Portion sizes
Make sure you don’t over eat during iftar. It’s a very easy trap to fall into, but by having small portions of soup, salad and your main meal, you avoid indigestion problems and weight gain.
Minimise food with a high sugar content
After fasting we often crave high sugar food to compensate for the drop of glucose levels in our bodies. However, the fluctuation of sugar levels in the body will cause increased cravings and fatigue. That’s why it’s advisable to wait two to three hours after iftar to have any sweets or desserts.
Don’t skip suhoor
Suhoor is a very important meal to give your body the energy for the following day. You should eat light and healthy protein-packed food such as Greek yogurt and fava beans.
Get enough sleep
This is important as a lack of sleep will cause tiredness, which in turn will translate to feeling more hungry due to the lack of energy.
Ramdan glossary
Iftar or futoor
In Arabic this means “break fast”. It is the meal at sunset during Ramadan when Muslims can break their fast.
Suhoor
The pre-dawn meal to see those who are fasting through their day.
Ramadan Kareem
A nice greeting that means “generous Ramadan”. Say it to Muslims during this special time of year.
Ramadan Mubarak
Another greeting to wish people a happy Ramadan. It basically means “congratulations, it’s Ramadan”.
Sawm
This is the word used for fasting and is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Zakat
Another one of the five pillars of Islam is zakat or almsgiving. It requires adult Muslims to pay 2.5 percent of their wealth to the poor and needy.
While this can be paid at any time of the year, zakat is more prominent during Ramadan.
Salah
Prayer, another of the five pillars of Islam. Five prayer times are observed throughout the day, the first at dawn, then at noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night.
Tarawih
Special congregational prayers held each evening during Ramadan, in addition to the five daily prayers.
Eid Al-Fitr
This annual, three-day celebration marks the end of Ramadan and the start of “Shawwal” (the tenth month of the Islamic calendar) with prayers, festivities, food, gifts and family gatherings. It means “feast of breaking the fast”.
