Ramadan is a muslim tradition. It is a month of fasting, reflection and community to remember the revelation of the Quran. The Islamic calendar follows the moon, which means that the first month of the year moves 11-12 days compared to our gregorian calendar and so does ramadan. This year ramadan will start around the 12-13th of April and end one month later. (update 2023 ramadan starts on March 23)
During this month the focus is on prayer, charity and abstinence. This abstinence is not just food and drink, it is also smoking, sexual relations and general sinful behaviour. But only between sunrise and sunset. The meal before sunrise is called suhoor and the meal to break the fast after sunset is iftar. There is a great tradition of breaking the fast together and inviting friends, family and neighbours to join at the table. Moroccans are generally very hospitable - ramadan or not. But during this time, it is especially clear how welcoming they are as a people.
The culmination of the month of ramadan is eid. A great feast, again breaking the fast as a community, giving to charity, making sure that everyone can afford to celebrate. We are excited to take part again - it is a nice bonding experience and a humbling reminder that not everyone is as lucky as we are.
During ramadan everything is a little bit quieter here. The mosques are fuller and the streets and cafés are emptier. Some shops are closed, some people don't work during the entire month. Most people try to stay out of the sun, as they are obviously not hydrated for a full beach day. It is also easy to adopt a very different rythm to the day as you are eating very late and very early, so it is quite tempting to sleep during the very hot hours af the day or stay at home in quiet reflection and prayer.
Eid is the opposite. A lot of people everywhere happiness, music and A LOT of food. Last year was a very quiet eid compared to usual. Because of Covid-19 the authorities had imposed curfews and travel restrictions between cities to prevent the sprad of the virus. We are hoping that with spring and the vaccinations going well, this years eid will mark the end of the restrictions in Morocco - and we can't think of a better way to celebrate the coming of summer and tourists!
If you are curious about how it feels to do the fast. you can follow our ramadan journal here
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