Ramadan

[ChaCha]

Well, it's almost that time of year where we get ready for the month of Ramadan! Are there any other MNetters observing the fast this year?

I'm planning on baking some baklawa (thanks to yummy Nigella Lawson recipe) and taking it round to all my neighbours on the eve of Ramadan...any other suggestions?

And Happy Ramadan!

mmmm, can i be your neighbour too.

ive just done the first two fasts, and i have to admit, the afternoons are very hard. the kids are driving me insane, and i just dont have the energy or patience to cope with them then.

anyone have any strategies for coping witht he afterschool nightmare time?

I know how you feel stitch. It gets a bit manic round here too and having to prepare meals and listen to and respond to the dss' incessant questions is very tiring.

On top of that ds1 recently started nursery (as you know from other thread) and has days when he just keeps saying that he doesn't want to go so I have to try and keep him calm and happy, as well as all the housework and waking up early for sehri it's difficult but I'm hoping to get into some kind of routine.

I did one many moons ago when I worked for an asian company (It felt wrong for me to eat at lunch when literally no one else was). that first cup of tea at 4.00pm was heaven!

happy ramadan

Hi Ladies,

Am glad there have been a few replies!!
Happy Ramadan to you all. I started Ramadan with the best of intentions and start fasting every morning but I've been too sick to continue. I am 33wks pregnant - finding it a bit hard but hoping that everyday I'll be able to do a full day.

Munz - LOL! Yes, I always ask for a cup of tea when it's time to eat. It's absolute bliss!!!

I was gonna ask should u be fasting in ur condition MRS! lol.

it was almost worth fasting all day for that first cuppa tea!

Oh I'm back home to Eastern Turkey next week where everyone fasts! I'm always warned to keep off the poads as everyone rushes home at sundown!

There they have a drummer boy who goesaround the neighbourhood banging his drum at dawn to get everyone up.
Didn't know about this last year,so it frightened the life out of us-thought it was a bomb!!!

Best wishes to you Muslim ladies!

Oh Moondog - that's funny! Sure beats any alarm though! Have a safe trip back to Turkey - it's one of those places that i'd just love to visit, in particular, Konya; which I belive is a city in Central Anatolia. Have you ever been there?

Ramadan in Cairo is very much the same pre-break fast time. It's utter chaos on the streets and a case of 'every man for himself'. If I ever had to go anywhere to break my fast I'd leave just 5 minutes before where you embark upon scenes from a Ghost Town!

Munz - Hi How are you?

May I hijack?

DS has invited at least one Muslim child to his birthday party, which will be during Ramadan. Will they be able to come? Is there anything I should know to make it easier for them or their parents?

A Good Ramadan to you all.

Prettycandles I don't think children are expected to fast, but it depends how old they are. I wouldn't worry about the parents, they must know that if there is a party there will be food involved.

If you are giving out cake to parents perhaps you could give them their piece for when they break their fast, I think they would really appreciate that.

Thanks - that's a nice idea.

Hi Prettycandles - We've met on previous threads

Which age group are the kids roughly? I would doubt as Saadia said they'd be fasting anyway. Also idea of having a piece of cake for breaking fast time is lovely. I know that i'd love that!
I might just mention this in case, but most Muslims will eat food items that are suitable for vegetarians - including cake. No gelatin etc..
HTH

ChaCha,I'm dying to go to Konya. Will do in the spring. Never having lived in a predominantly Muslim country before,you can imagine mine and dh's surprise last year when we strolled to a restaurant at about 6:15 to be told that there was no food left!!!

We know what we're doing this year!!

I've just had a young woman with me for a month from this part of Turkey. She e mailed me yesterday top say thanks and told me that the first question everyone asks her is whether she ate pork!!

(I did have to intervene swiftly at the M&S checkout when she tried to buy a chicken and bacon s'wich,not knowing what bacon was though...)

i didnt fast for four years, as i was either pregnant or breasstfeeding. and am now finding it vert difficutl to get tinot again.
wish i was at my moms, much easier there.

Hi ChaCha. It's ds 5th birthday, so I don't suppose the children would be fasting, I was thinking more about if parents wanted to stay at the party - I don't even know whether partying is allowed during Ramadan. As for the food, I'm Jewish, so the food would be suitable in any case.

Hello! How is Ramadan going for you guys? (I'm not fasting as am bfing)Hope its going well.
I want to give my zakat and non-fasting money to one of the relief agencies for the earthquake appeal. Thats ok isn't it? I'm sure it is but someone said to me it might not be. I don't know why it wouldn't be but if anyone knows for sure could you please tell me? thanks.

Sai, that's what I was planning to do as well. Can't imagine why it wouldn't be OK, but there might be some reason I don't know about. The reports from there are just heart-rending. Shows that none of us know what's round the corner.

Its horrible. Some of the images on the news have practically made me cry.
Well, I donated the money last night. I think some people just talk rubbish.
I feel quite guilty because I was going to give all the money to an orphanage before this happened but now I'm not giving them as much as I want to donate for the disaster relief too.
Wish I could help everyone out!

I know what you mean, there is no shortage of needy people. Just have to do what we can and be grateful for our blessings.