Celebrating Ramadan
2024/3/15
By Eman Alhaj Ali (Gaza-based journalist)
As many of us struggle to put food on the table to break fast or to find a safe place for prayer,
the memories of past Ramadans keep us warm. Amid the buzzing of Israeli drones and the sound of
explosions, I close my eyes and remember the splendor of Ramadan in Gaza [before the war].
The preparations for the holy month would always start early. Several weeks ahead of it, people
would go out shopping for all the Ramadan necessities.
A favorite place to go would be the Old City and its traditional market. There, all the traditional
Ramadan food items could be found: sour pickles, the best dates, delicious olives, spices that filled the
air with their aroma, thyme, dried apricot paste to make qamar al-din drinks, dried fruits, and various
types of juices, with khoroub (carob) being the most popular.
New clothes would also be a necessary purchase. Prayer gowns would be a popular choice, as
would fancy dresses for the girls and sleek costumes for the boys.
Children would pull on parents’ hands and ask them to buy one of the colorful lanterns on
display that read “hallou ya hallou, Ramadan Kareem ya hallou” (“dear, dear, Ramadan Kareem,
dear”).
The streets would be bustling with people, decorations would be going up, cheerful Ramadan
songs would be played. The atmosphere of anticipation would be like no other.
Then on the eve of the first day of Ramadan, Gaza’s neighborhoods would be filled with the
sound of prayers. The kids would be out until late, playing in the streets, holding lanterns, chanting,
singing, and setting off fireworks to mark the beginning of the holy month.
Families would come together to share the evening meal and pray together. Then some may
nap, others would go out for school and work. By the afternoon, all would be back home and it would
be time to read the Holy Quran. Kids would read and memorize the verses at home or in mosques.
Parents and grandparents would tell stories of prophets to children and grandchildren.
Vocabulary
What did you find interesting and why?
What bad habit could you give up?
2024/3/15
Celebrating Ramadan
What religion celebrates
What is the name of the
What building do
this holiday?
holy book in Islam?
muslims pray in?
Around how many people in the world celebrate it? __________________________________
_________________ has the most muslims, _________________ is 100% muslim
When is Ramadan? ________________________________________________________
This year it is _________________ to _________________.
How long is Ramadan? _____________________________________________________
What things do muslims not do during
Draw the symbol of Ramadan
Ramadan?
What do muslims focus on during Ramadan?
What happens at the end of Ramadan?
Why is Ramadan celebrated?