Ramadan is the Muslim month of
fasting. Food and drinks can be consumed only before dawn and after sunset. Ramadan
goes back to pre-Islamic times, just like Christmas (winter solstice) dates
back to pre-Christian times.
The Islamic Ramadan is the month when
Muhammad received the Quran. This happened in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar,
which doesn’t completely agree with the astronomical calendar. Therefore Ramadan moves around the year.
I just came back from the Arctic,
where the sun is up from mid-April till late August. There were no Muslims around. They all died out one year when Ramadan was in the middle of the summer.
I’m just joking. The Muslims have
found practical ways to deal with this, like they have done when Soccer World
Cup coincides with Ramadan. You can’t expect the Algerian or Iranian national
teams to perform on top level without regular meals. In a similar way, they have
found ways to survive the light summers of the north. During Ramadan, the Muslims
living in the Land of the Midnight Sun are allowed to eat according to the
sunrise and sunset in Mecca.
That’s fine with me. It remains to
see if God agrees. He’s known to be a tough guy from time to time.
That is an interesting point! I never thought about the sunset and sunrise conflict with Ramadan in areas of the planet closer to the poles.
ReplyDeleteNow what will this mean for vampires and werewolves who travel to the far north or south? Hmmm. Might just be fodder for another paranormal YA series!
I guess the warewolves would enjoy the polar night >:)
DeleteIf I had to do that, I'd be feasting all night long. ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good idea >:)
DeleteIf I had to do that, I'd be feasting all night long. ;)
ReplyDelete