10 INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT RAMADAN

Eid al-Fitr means “festival of breaking the fast” and marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Traditionally, it is celebrated for three days as an official holiday in all Muslim-majority countries. However, the number of vacation days varies by country.

Here are 10 things you must know about Ramadan

1. During Ramadan, Muslims cannot eat or drink during daylight hours. Sexual relations, smoking, and anything indecent or excessive are also prohibited.

2. Ramadan is remembered as the month in which the prophet Muhammad received the first of the revelations that make up the Quran.

3. Because Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, the holiday starts 11–12 days earlier than it did the previous year. It takes about 33 Islamic years for Ramadan to return to the same place on the Gregorian calendar.

4. The word “Ramadan” is from the Arabic root ramida or ar-ramad, which means scorching heat or dryness. This is because Ramadan typically takes place during the summer.

5. Ramadan requires Muslims to fast during the “daylight hours.” Muslims who live in places with a midnight sun or polar night follow the sunlight hours of Mecca.

6. While Ramadan means a month of fasting, dieticians actually see an increase in diabetes cases and weight-gain due to overeating once the sun goes down.

7. Muslims are not allowed to chew gum during Ramadan. The reason for this is because of the sugar and other ingredients that the chewing gum contains, as you would be swallowing it.

8. The need to correctly identify the beginning of Ramadan by sighting the hilal (crescent moon) led Muslim scholars to study astronomy.

9. Fasting is the fourth pillar among the five fundamental principles of Islam. Known as Sawm or fasting in the month of Ramadan.

10. Children aren’t required to fast until they reach puberty. If someone falls sick during Ramadan, he or she can make up for the fast after they recover. If someone accidentally eats anything during the fast, their fast is still accepted.