Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims. It started yesterday, June 7th and finishes July 7th. It is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar so it varies every year in our calendar.
Ramadan is a time of fasting. Muslims who are fasting do not eat or drink – not even water – between sunrise and sunset. They get up early so that they can eat before the sun comes up and they have a late meal in the evening. Children under the age of 12, the elderly, pregnant women and sick people do not fast usually. Muslims also perform acts of charity like giving to the poor during Ramadan. Many go to the mosque and pray every evening.
The population of NZ is about 4.5m people and just over 40,000 of those people are Muslim. It can be difficult for Muslims living in NZ because many people do not know about Ramadan. Teachers, bosses and work mates may not understand that Muslim students and workers are tired during this month and may have difficulty concentrating on their work. At least this year Ramadan occurs in our winter when the days are short and night is long but some years Ramadan occurs in the middle of our summer.
The end of Ramadan is celebrated with a feast and a holiday.
Vocabulary
• holy (adj) – religious
• to vary (v) – become different, change [note: various (adj)]
• to fast (v), fasting (n) – no food or drink
• pregnant (adj) – expecting a baby
• charity (n) – giving to people in need
• to concentrate on (v) – give close attention to something
• at least – shows a positive aspect
• feast (n) – special meal
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