Ramadan tomorrow.

Here's some answers to questions you might ask a Muslim friend so that they don't feel like a Gremlin being fed after midnight.

A thread.

1. We can't eat or drink from sunrise to sun set. No food no water. Also basically nothing entering the body. That includes you know what. But also things like smoking, and depending on stringency of the followers could include things like gum.

2. We all don't agree on the exact date it begins due to various cultural and the hemisphere you reside in, but typically it doesn't matter as much as the fact that you're trying to be observant.

3. Which leads to the question, Who would know? If you snuck a bite or a sip of water? Allah. So asking us that is pretty offensive. We're not being forced to do this. We'll complain the hell out of it while we're doing it, but we're not being forced.

4. So why do we do it. A bunch of people will say a bunch of reasons. Culture, religion, belief, because it's asked of us by God, because it's a large part of our religion, because it connects us to other Muslims, because it centers us, because it cleanses us.

4b. We try to be better people during this month. It brings us back to a starting point and recharges us for another year, but I also observe it for one very important reason.
It shows us what it means to be hungry and not eat. To be thirsty and not drink.

4c. Throughout the rest of the year we live our lives, and while there are doctrines against living in access, that is a pretty nebulous stance.

During Ramadan it's different. Whether you're rich or not, you are hungry that month. You thirst. It reminds you of your privilege.

5. After/During Ramadan people try to give Zakat. Which is donations of money or food to the needy. Ramadan and Zakat are 2/5th of what it means to be a Muslim. It's pretty big.

And during that time reconnecting with other Muslims, reading the Quran, you are reminded of it.

6. What happens if you accidentally eat or drink? No big deal. It's about intent.

7. What happens if you're sick?
Don't fast. The religion puts safety before fasting. If you are sick, pregnant, nursing, required to take daily medication, even if you're traveling, don't fast.

8. There is a period of time within the month that women don't fast. Again, this is primarily a concern for health. Any missed days can be made up, and it's encouraged but not required to do so.

9. Depending on where you hear it, the poor do not have to fast. If you have trouble finding a meal, during Ramadan, you shouldn't be denying yourself the opportunity to eat. Again, safety first.

10. Is it hard? Yup. For me, thirst is way harder than hunger. I could go all day and forget a meal, but when you wake up thirsty... That's gunna be a rough day buddy.

11. Does it get easier? It get's more monotonous. Some days are easier, some days harder. It varies.

12. The worst parts of the day are the morning and the time right before breaking your fast. If you're addicted to things like caffeine or nicotine, wooo boyzee... Headaches all day err day.

13. We pass the time however we can. Distractions help. Napping really helps, especially because you're often tired. OOh by the way that reminds me.

14. Yes, we wake up before sunrise and eat food and drink. We try to avoid salty things, but have you tried our cheese? Anyway it helps a bit.... Because sometimes it honestly feels like you'd have been better off not waking up at all. But ya got prayer, so..

15. You pray a lot more. I mean... typically we're supposed to pray 5 times a day. Each prayer is broken up into things called Raka's (not sure of the transliteration) and during Ramadan, there are a whole heck of a lot more of them.

16. Oh, also it's Ramadan is an actual month in the Islamic Calendar, a thing most non-Muslims really ever hear of because Gregorian Calendars won the swimsuit competition.

But the Islamic calendar is lunar based, which means Ramadan is roughly 10ish days earlier every year.

17. So yes, that means Ramadan During the Summer where day starts earlier and ends later, is far more difficult than in the winter. As it stands now, we're stepping down, which means every year gets easier as it approaches winter. Huzzah!

hmm... thinking about anything else...
18. Don't ask us about timezone travel, again, we're not Mogwai.

19. We can be 6 out of the 7 dwarves, but let's face it, you probably know quite a few Muslim Docs out there.

20. School is hell for kids during Ramadan.

I'll repeat,
20. School is hell for kids during Ramadan. Schools often don't account for Muslims during Lunch. No alternative programs, no considerations. Very obvious isolation. Public questioning. "Allies" who turn spotlights on you. taunting. Sports. Gym. The WORST.

21. So if you have a kid that goes to school with a Muslim, maybe use this to answer their question so that they don't bother the Muslim kid. At times the interest is appreciated, but it so often comes off more like people attending a zoological exhibit.

22. It's also a lot easier to be Hangry. I mean we're trying to be good, but "Damn it Debbie, I'm just not in the mood for your weirdly psuedo-sympathetic, but still patronizing assertions about how you don't get how I can do it. I'm in the middle of trying to forget that I am!"

23. I'll try to think of some other stuff and I'm sure more of my brothers and sisters can chime in. Feel free to ask questions in this thread and I'll try to answer honestly from my viewpoint of the faith, if not everyone elses.

Oh and I guess as part of my yearly posting...

24. When people ask me, how I cope with being hungry during Ramadan....

Bonus answer 1: We don't scarf down a bunch of food when we break our fast. We want to. But typically our stomachs have shrunk, so we get full fast, and then graze for the rest of the night. It's nice because we often eat more as a family during the month.

BA 2: Also you're more often to try for a home cooked meal, since the last thing you want is some heavily salted fast food.

We like to break our Fasts with dates, and water/milk (depending on tolerance). There's some religious historical bits to that, but I like dates.

BA 2: For people not reading replies.
Greetings for Muslims during Ramadan!
Ramadan Mubarak means "Have a blessed Ramadan"
Ramadan Kareem means "Have a generous Ramadan"

BA 2b: So based on your own personal choices, one might be favorable to say over an other, but either is typically equally appreciated by any Muslim you meet.

Also fun personal experience fact: Imam's don't seem to like it when you declare "I'm Ramadone Yo!" when the sun sets.

BA3 Lightning round.

BA 3:
I ASSUME IF YOU'RE MUSLIM DURING RAMADAN:
ADHD sucks.
Labor jobs in the summer sucks.
Eating before you sleep for those with Acid Reflux sucks.
Living in the North Pole probably sucks.