Ramadan is a month of fasting and spiritual discipline for Muslims all over the world during the ninth month of the Islamic Calendar. Because Islam uses a lunar calendar— that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. It is a time of personal purification and renewal. Muslims are required to abstain totally from food, drink, tobacco, and sensual pleasures from dawn to sunset.
During Ramadan, most shops and businesses open later in the morning. They often close for prayer and most of the afternoon. Restaurants open only just before sunset and remain open, along with many shops, until the early morning hours. Following Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the breaking of the fast, a holiday known as Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr involves the exchange of presents within and among Muslim families and great feasting.
If you live in an Islamic country, Ramadan is enshrine in law. It is not simply a religious option. You are not obliged to fast, but you are required to respect the traditions.
*posted from the Oman Muscateer
One of the questions we asked was "Why do Omani's break their fast with dates?". Dates are a staple middle Eastern fruit that has been cultivated for years. Traditionally, dates were known as the food Muhammad ate when he broke from his fast. During a fast, the body can develop mild heath problems such as headaches, low blood sugar, and lethargy. Dates have a high nutritional content and the carbohydrates in dates make the fruit a slower digesting food.
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