How to Celebrate Ramadan
Ramadan is a time of great religious significance for people who practice the Islamic faith. Muslims celebrate Ramadan to commemorate Allah revealing the Quran, the Islamic holy book, to the prophet Muhammad. Muslims celebrate Ramadan by praying, reading the Quran, giving to charity and fasting. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam; these pillars are considered obligatory acts for all Muslims. Muslim families around the world observe Ramadan as a time of reflection and devotion to Allah.
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Instructions
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Determine when Ramadan begins. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The beginning of Ramadan changes each year because the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle. Consult the Islamic Society of North America for details about each year's precise start date of Ramadan.
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Eat a meal just before dawn on the first day of Ramadan. Begin fasting when dawn breaks. Avoid eating, drinking, smoking or having sex during the daylight hours.
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Break your fast after the sun sets with a post-fast meal called iftar. Invite friends and family members to join your meal. Begin the meal by eating a date or apricot with some water or sweetened milk. Prepare vegetables, meat dishes, bread and other hearty foods. Drink plenty of water and other liquids to stay hydrated for the next day's fast.
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Continue fasting during the daylight hours to celebrate Ramadan. Eat and drink only at night.
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Read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan. Pray often and reflect on the words of the Quran. Attend special prayer services at your mosque at which the Quran is read.
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Contribute to charity. Celebrate Ramadan by giving food to the poor or donating your time to a charitable organization.
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Observe Lailat ul-Qadr, the 27th night of Ramadan, the night on which the Quran was revealed to the prophet Muhammad. Spend the night praying and reading the Quran.
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Celebrate the end of Ramadan during Eid-ul-Fitr, a holiday known as the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast. Wear your nicest clothes to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Donate food to the poor and join in obligatory communal prayers in the morning. Attend an Eid service at your local mosque.
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Prepare the midday Eid meal to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Gather with family and friends to eat during the daytime for the first time in a month. Give small gifts to children to commemorate the event.
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Tips & Warnings
Celebrate Ramadan by abstaining from ill thoughts and sinful deeds in addition to food and water. Use Ramadan as a time to cultivate self-discipline and humility.
Fasting can be dangerous for some groups of people. Pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, the elderly and sick individuals are not required to fast. These people may fast at a later date or give food to the poor instead.
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