You have probably been hearing a lot about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa lately. But you may not have heard about Ramadan, which started October 15 and ended November 14, 2003. More than 1 billion Muslims around the world observe this month of prayer and fasting. Ramadan don't always fall at the end of the year though. The reason they change is because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar (based on the moon, not the sun), which is about 11 days shorter than a typical year. That means the dates of events in the Islamic calendar "move forward" 11 days every year. Ramadan is the ninth of the 12 months.
Why This Month?
Muslims believe that Ramadan is the month that Allah (God) first revealed the Quran (also spelled Koran), the holy book of Islam, to a caravan trader named Muhammad. During Ramadan, people at many mosques recite about 1/30 of the Quran a night so that by the end of the month the entire Quran will have been recited. These nightly prayers are called "tarawih."
Fasting
Adult Muslims fast every day of the month of Ramadan. This means they don't eat or drink anything at all from dawn to sunset. This practice is called "sawm." The fasting person is expected to do her best to not complain and to avoid getting angry or irritated with people. They are supposed to focus on inner peace. Young children, the elderly, and sick people don't have to fast. At the end of the day the fast is broken with the "iftar" meal, which usually includes dates, fruits, and dinner. Since Muslims come from just about every place in the world, different families have different foods they like to eat for their iftar meal.
Eid ul Fitr
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate a very festive and joyful holiday called Eid ul Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast. It is celebrated for 3 days. People dress in their best clothes and go to special prayers at their mosque. They decorate their homes with lights and other decorations and visit with family and friends. Children are given gifts, money, and sweets. It's also a time to give money to the poor.
