Fasting, and Breaking Fast (Part 1)

I hope that this post finds you doing very well, and enjoying the lovely end of summer, wherever you may be. I miss you all, and hope that I will hear from you soon. Life here for me is going well, with work, with my house, AND my new kitten! She is 10 weeks old, and is gray with black tiger stripes, and white patches here and there. I will post pictures at some point, probably when I can get internet at my house (soon I hope). But onto the subject!

Right now it is the holy month of Ramadan. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ramadan, it is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar (Islamic calendar is based upon Lunar cycles). In the religion of Islam, this month is considered the holiest, and from sunrise to sunset, all believers fast on everything. Foods, water/drinks, and sex, are all things that believers fast from.

The reason for fasting is that it is a way to purify oneself from any sin committed during the previous 11 months. It is also a way for a person to feel and know what it is like to be a needy person, who does not have access to food and water, and is suffering. There are certain exceptions to fasting, such as children, sick/diabetic, and pregnant or new mothers. However, technically, any day not fasted needs to be made up a time later if that is possible (like pregnant women and not permanently sick).

Life in Morocco (and any Islamic country) changes during the holy month. Let me take you through a typical day for me during Ramadan. In my next post, I will discuss the different foods that I eat on a typical day breaking fast.

I usually wake up 4am each day, and drink a glass of water. The reason for this is that fast begins at sunrise, which for me is 4:25am. So I need to have any food or water for the day at this time. Then I go back to sleep for a few more hours.

Around 8 or 9am, I wake up for the day. Since I am not eating or drinking, I brush my teeth, making sure not to swallow any water and break my fast. I then spend my morning reading, writing, or just relaxing. Around town, everyone is still asleep, and all the cafes and stores are closed.

I continue to relax, get some work done, watch a show or play cards on my computer until about 2pm. This is the time when stores start to open, and I can go to the cyber-café to check-email. Most stores are still closed, and most people stay indoors. Remember folks, it is August, and it is pretty hot and dry here. Being outside and walking through town during the day drains you and you become thirsty, and not having any calories leaves you in a haze as the day goes on. So relaxing is key.

After I spent some time at the cyber (2-3 times a week), I walk home, and see more and more stores that are opening. Venders are selling fruits and juices and cookies and dates on the street, and the town is starting to get lively. I stop and talk to a few people, and buy some eggs to boil for later. I go home and relax for a bit, before hard-boiling eggs.

At about 6:15pm, I walk with my site-mate to a host family in the village, and we are going to break fast here after the evening call to prayer. Around 7pm, the call to prayer goes off (sunset), and we can break fast. I will discuss foods in depth later. During this time, we watch television from Mecca, and watch the thousands of people praying after making the pilgrimage to Mecca. It is fascinating to watch all of the people, and luckily there are subtitles of the prayers in English, so I can read what is being said. I sit and break fast with a host family, and they are so great company and so nice. We talk, and at about 8:15, my site mate and I leave to go back home, saying hello to friends and other townsfolk along the way.

After getting home, I am completely full of food. I feel like I am in a food coma, after not eating all day and then gorging myself. Sometimes I watch a show with my site-mate, other times I just relax and continue to rehydrate. Rehydrating is difficult, because you are also full of food. I spend the rest of my evening relaxing, and eating some fruits and rehydrating. At about midnight, I go to sleep for 4 hours, where I then wake up and do it all again. This routine can switch a little bit, depending on if friends are in town or I have to meet a friend for tea or coffee.

In my next post, I will discuss the culture of food associated with Ramadan, and how people typically break their fast. In the third post, I will discuss my thoughts on Ramadan as a whole, and the culture of people during Ramadan. So keep reading, and let me know if you have any questions.

Book of the Moment: “1491” Charles Mann
Album of the Moment: Simian Mobile Disco - “Temporary Pleasures”

Much Love,
Me!