Ramadan in Israel
Today begins the month of Ramadan, a special and holy month for Muslims all around the world, including in Israel.
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, and lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on the moon, as the Muslim faith follows the lunar calendar instead of the solar. Because of this, Ramadan lands on a different month each year, sometimes in the cold months and sometimes in the sweltering heat!
Throughout the whole month, from sunrise to sunset each day, every Muslim is meant to fast. Each night once the sun sets, there are big celebrations with large feasts of food filled with delicious traditional delicacies.
The Muslim community in Israel is quite large and is around 18% of the population in Israel (out of 8.8 million people, we'd say that is quite a lot...).
Despite what you may think, many of the Muslim communities in Israel have integrated into Israeli life, and play a major role in the day-to-day activities that keep our country going. You can find Muslim soldiers and officers in the IDF, Muslim police officers, judges, Members of Knesset, hi-tech engineers, and much, much more.
In Israel, the month of Ramadan is usually a very unique time. Millions of Muslims continue to work during the day, even though they have to fast, and when nighttime comes you can hear the sounds of celebrations from all across the country. During this time you can find many Arab delicacies in markets all over Israel, including amazing traditional meat dishes, and mouthwatering candies and sweets.
This year, Ramadan is beginning today, in the month of April. This is great news for Muslims celebrating, because of the AMAZING WEATHER! Every so often, Ramadan lands on a summer month, and dedicated and committed Muslims must fast in the heat of the Middle Eastern summer- for a whole month!
Thankfully this year may be a bit more enjoyable, in the cool spring air. We want to wish all who are celebrating Ramadan this year a meaningful and successful month! Good luck, and enjoy the nightly feasts!
Ramadan Kareem!
