Before Ramadan children often buy the lantern. Why is that?! Let’s learn five rich Ramadan facts for kids.
Ramadan lasts for over a month. The date of Ramadan changes every year and this is because the Islamic calendar is based on the cycle of the moon. Ramadan takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. This month is said to be when the Qur’an was first revealed to the prophet Muhammed in 610 CE. Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Muslims don’t eat or drink anything during the hours of daylight. This is known as fasting. Muslims have a meal at sunrise called “Suhoor” which means “of the dawn”. Muslims then have a meal after sunset called “Iftar” which means “break of the fast”. During Ramadan Muslims greet each other by saying “Ramadan Mubarak”, which means “have a blessed Ramadan.”
Not all Muslims fast during Ramadan. Children don’t fast until they are 14 years old. Other people that do not fast if they are pregnant, elderly, travelling or unwell. People should only fast if they feel they are able to safely. Fasting during Ramadan is a way for Muslims to reflect on their lives and be grateful for what they have. Ramadan is also a time for prayer and to give thanks to Allah (God). Even if some Muslims do not fast for Ramadan, they still treat it as a time to develop their faith. The end of Ramadan is marked by a celebration known as Eid ul-Fitr, which means ‘the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast’.
The practice of fasting during Ramadan began over 14 centuries ago, in the year 624 CE. This makes Ramadan nearly as old as the Islamic Calendar which started two years previously. Muslims fast to follow the Prophet Muhammad who along with his followers fasted to show thanks to God. Fasting during Ramadan shows a Muslims devotion to Islam. It also teaches self-discipline as fasting for the day is not an easy task.
Muslims try to spend time with their family during Ramadan. Lots of Muslims try to read the whole of the Qur’an during Ramadan. Laylat al-Qadr is the night Muslims believe the Qur’an was sent down to the world and revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Laylat al-Qadr translates to “Night of Power” and it occurs towards the end of Ramadan. Muslims pray to God five times a day, and there is a sixth, optional prayer during Ramadan. In Ramadan, Muslims will pray together in the Mosque. A Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims.
We hope you enjoyed learning more things about Ramadan as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic the Ramadan is, you can move on to learn about religions festivals and rituals like: Obon, Day of The Dead, Songkran and Diwali.
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