Ramadan
Ramadan is an important month-long religious holiday for Muslims all over the world. The holiday involves fasting, praying and being around loved ones. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the Festival of Sweets.
Ramadan – the fourth pillar of Islam
Islam is based on five important principles, also called pillars. The fourth pillar is called Sawm, which means fasting. For Muslims, Ramadan is a holy month in which one must abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. This is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It starts when the new moon appears, and ends when the next new moon peeks out. Then the fast ends with a big celebration: Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan is about more than not eating and drinking. It is about abstaining from desires and focusing on spirituality. During Ramadan there are many social gatherings, and it is a time for reflection and prayer. It’s about feeling gratitude for everything you have and is an exercise in knowing what it’s like not to have everything. You get a feeling of what it’s like to be poor.
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Silhuett av moske med halvmåne på solnedgangshimmel
Ramadan in all seasons
The Islamic year is 11 days shorter than that of the Gregorian calendar. This means that Ramadan begins 11 days earlier each year. Over a 36-year-period Ramadan will fall in every season.
Ramadan in the Northern hemisphere
During the summer months there can be as much as 20 hours of daylight in the northernmost countries of the world. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set in the summertime, as there is the midnight sun.
During winter the opposite happens, the number of daylight hours are fewer, and in some places the sun never rises at all.
Alternative solutions
In these extreme conditions many Muslims choose alternative options as to when the fast can be broken. Some follow the time of the sun in Mecca or the closest Islamic country. A group of Norwegian Muslims have developed prayer timetables in collaboration with international Islamic authorities, for Muslims living in high-latitude areas.
📷 Midnight sun in Norway
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Midnattssol på Nordkapp i Finland
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