Ramadan
Ramadan
Many of our families will be observing Ramadan this month. Ramadan begins on Monday 11th March and is expected to conclude on Tuesday 9 April 2024, meaning Eid al-Fitr is likely to fall on Wednesday 10 April 2024.
The festival begins with the sighting of the crescent moon, which usually appears one night after a new moon. One of the five pillars of Islam - along with faith, prayer, charity, and the pilgrimage - Ramadan commemorates the Quran first being revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, a sacred moment honoured with abstinence between sunrise and sunset. The month of Ramadan will see Muslims all over the world fasting and praying, before breaking their fast at sundown alongside family and friends.
There are a few ways to greet someone who’s celebrating Ramadan this year. A saying familiar to many Muslims around the globe is, ‘Ramadan Mubarak’ which simply means ‘Blessed Ramadan’. Another commonly used term is, ‘Ramadan Kareem’, which translates to ‘Generous Ramadan’, both terms are from Arabic origins.
Why do Muslims fast?
Ramadan is a holy month dedicated to prayer and reading the Quran. Generosity and giving to worthy causes and neighbours are encouraged. It is a period for reflection, self-restraint, and warmth intended to bring Muslims closer to Allah, hence the abstention from earthly distractions like food and water, etc. A modest meal is taken before dawn known as “suhoor” and after dusk known as “iftar” but nothing whatsoever is consumed in between, not even water.
What is Eid al-Fitr?
Eid al-Fitr is the gift from Allah (God) given to all Muslims that they finished the Ramadan peacefully. ‘Eid’ means happiness.
We will be observing Ramadan in nursery by being kind to each other, reading stories about Ramadan and developing our understanding and knowledge of Islam. We will explore food tasting, dressing up, making decorations for Eid, such as moon, stars and making Eid cards.