I apologize. It has been a while since my last post, and I promise to tell you more on that in a Tuesday post this week. For now I want to tell you about this time of year in the Arabic world.
Today begins my first Ramadan in the Middle East. I arrived last year at the end of Ramadan, during the period known as Eid. Ramadan in essentially the holy month. Working on a lunar calendar, the exact dates of it change every year, moving forward more or less 11 days on our calendar each year.
Ramadan is a time of fasting, self-reflection and prayer. It celebrates the time that Prophet Muhammad received the initial revelations that became the Quran. Muslims resist all food and drink during daylight hours for 30 days. In addition, they pray 5 times daily, refrain from all impure behavior, and increase charitable acts and donations. The belief is that by directing your attention away from worldly activities and into religious ones, this month of restraint and prayer will purify the body and spirit, and bring you closer to God. It is thought that by observing and complying with the rules, they will reap maximum reward at their Judgement Day. Detachment from worldly pleasures and reminding each other of the suffering of those less fortunate is believed to be recognized by God. I find this remarkably similar to the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when in the Christian world, prayer, charitable donations, and family time all increase. It’s very much the same thought process (without the timed and publicly broadcast prayer reminders.) The standard greeting when you encounter people is either “Ramadan Mubarak” meaning congratulations it’s Ramadan or “Ramadan Kareem” which means Blessed or Generous Ramadan.
During Ramadan, many restaurants are not open during daylight hours, everybody’s work hours are shortened, and allowances for prayer time that are not normally made, are for Ramadan. There is not a standard for Ramadan business hours, so each business creates their own. In Larry’s case, his work load will go from 40-45 hours per week during a normal work week, down to 30-35. Many people will work less than that. I cannot imagine another way to do this. Who could sanely and safely operate without food or water all day and still work a 40-50 hour week? Especially during a long summer day? We are talking about 14 hours of daylight right now, and we haven’t yet reached the longest day of the year! During the remaining 10 hours, they eat and sleep. Ok maybe they sleep some during the day too (I would) but not everybody has the schedule availability to do so. Time off work is spent preparing the evening feast (called Iftar – which literally translates to break fast).
The Iftar feast begins at the time of the evening call to prayer. The feasts are HUGE! The ones offered by local restaurants easily rival the decadent buffet brunches that the UAE is known for (but without the alcohol). The food is abundant and plentiful, and the meal can last for hours. Much like the American tradition of Thanksgiving, it is a time for family and friends old and new to come join in and share the bounty.
For an expat, Ramadan means you must remember not to eat or drink in public during daylight hours. So that translates to, no water bottles on your walks along the Corniche, no French fry snagging in your car, no popcorn at the movie matinee, and no mid-morning beverage with your book at the local coffeehouse. There are exceptions. At The British Club for example, there are indoor restaurants (where doors can be closed, curtains drawn, etc,) that will allow you to enjoy your morning beverage, or grab a full breakfast after the sun comes up. I am told by the old timers here that the rules have eased up dramatically in the past 2-3 years. Even as recently as 5 years ago it was not the case. Nobody was allowed to eat anywhere in public, and all liquor stores were closed. Expats had to find out which places they could very literally sneak into in order to have a meal in a back room. Expats who have been here for 10-20 years speak fondly of a Chinese restaurant here in AD in which they could order the “special” tea, and enjoy some wine with dinner that was “camouflaged” in a teapot.
These days, workplaces now have a designated room that can close off where non-Muslims can go and have a midday meal at the job site. Some public restaurants are open, especially those in hotels that cater to tourists. As stated above The Club has been granted permission to serve food in designated locations (still no booze until after sunset). These are all changes that the local government has made in order to acknowledge that not all residents are participating in the same religious beliefs.
A friend of mine pointed out today that during Christmas, one of the major celebrations of the Christian faith, the local malls, restaurants, and shops were highly decorated, and traditional western style meals were offered in order to make us feel welcomed and honored. I feel that as guests in their country, it is the least we can do to reciprocate, and honor their traditions as well. I will drink my morning beverage in the privacy of my own home. Or maybe at the club in a private room after yoga class. But definitely not in public.
Tune in Tuesday for exciting news and photos….