This year Ramadan runs from about July 20th to August 19th, so right in the middle of summer holidays. Marrakesh is usually bursting with tourists at this time of year, despite the scorching heat. I have seen groups of sunburned, dazed and confused looking tourists walking around, probably not too sure about what’s going on, except that Macdonalds seems to be the only restaurant open for lunch.
The new moon marks the beginning of the month of Ramadan.
What’s going on is that everyone is fasting from 4 a.m. to 7:35 p.m. and that each individual is in a somewhat different state, and the whole country has collectively shifted gears. I can only imagine what it must be like to experience this as an outsider, but I’ve tried to put together some points here that might help you make sense of it.
1-Don’t pity us. Yes, I know it’s 47 C outside here in Marrakesh (that’s 118 F) and you can about boil a pot of that famous mint tea on the sidewalk. I know that this Ramadan has the longest daylight hours in the last 33 years. It sure must seem like we are suffering terribly. But here’s the thing: we like to fast. We look forward to this all year long. It’s like a beloved is returning to us. My dear non-Muslim friends, I appreciate your sympathy. “It must be really hard” you tell me. And it is. You apologize to me, wishing you could offer me a glass of water. And I thank you sincerely. But I wouldn’t trade a moment of this in for anything. No need to apologize, I’ll drink that water later, for darn sure. But right now I am emptying out, disengaging, and so is this whole country, all for a chance to come a little closer to the awesome and mysterious Divine.
2-Don’t call the ambulance just yet. It’s not dangerous to fast. Ok for some people it is, and they shouldn’t be fasting. In Morocco diabetes is of epidemic proportions, so on average there is at least one person per family not fasting. Pregnant or nursing women are excused from fasting. But you’d never know that a good 10-20 percent of people aren’t fasting, because Muslims would feel weird eating in public. For the rest of population, those blessed with good health, I’ve never heard of any risk or danger from fasting. It does mean downing water all night long though.
3-Don’t feel like you’re torturing me by eating in front of me. It’s really ok. Go ahead, drink that glass of water. No, I’m not drooling over you salad. Fact is I’m around food a lot during the day. The kids still need their breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and all that. What I’ve noticed thought is that when I’m fasting, food is like dead to me. I’m just in the zone. I’m not attracted to it in the least, don’t crave or obsess over it as I do when I’m not fasting. And I think this applies to most people. So when I see non-Muslims eating during the day, it’s not a big deal for me. The general rule is you don’t have to hide it, but you shouldn’t flaunt it either. Seeing tourists sitting in restaurants eating lunch doesn’t bother anyone, but seeing someone walk down the street chugging an ice cold Pepsi, ouch, that does hurt a little.
4-Do try to get invited for ftour. That would be of course the breaking fast meal around 7:40 p.m. It’s such a family oriented event in Morocco, and there is always much care and love put into food preparation. Moroccans eat a small meal at break fast and another dinner later on. The ftour is almost the same for the whole country, dates and water, some kind of soup either harira or barley, boiled eggs with cumin, chebbakia and slilou which are some complicated sweets that I won’t bother describing, and a smoothie like avocado and milk and sugar. It’s a shared ritual for sure. If you want to have a very Moroccan experience this is definitely it.
Gathered for the ftour meal
5-Don’t smoke in public. Yeah I’d put more emphasis on this one than on not eating/drinking, for several reasons. One is that there are smokers all around you who are in some state of nicotine withdrawal and that’s more intense than mere food deprivation. Two is that the actual smoke can break people’s fast. Of all the cranky fasters, I’d say the deprived smokers can be the worst, so bad in fact that there is a specific term used to describe a smoker who is losing it during Ramadan “maqtou3”, literally “cut off”. A blanket term used to explain the occasional flaring of tempers in the late afternoon.
6-Do appreciate the silence. That last 30 minutes before the call to prayer that marks sundown. The streets start to empty save for those last minute crazy drivers who know that traffic laws are not in effect at sunset. Then after the call to prayer, it’s a ghost town. Not a soul is out and about. In Marrakesh, a city of 1 million, there’s no other time where you could literally run down the street with your eyes closed and not get run over by anything. Not by a bus, truck, taxi, horse-drawn carriage, mule cart, donkey, moped, bike or walker! It adds to that special Ramadan “expect the unexpected” feeling. One minute the streets are teeming with last minute shoppers buying baghrir, jben or avocados for ftour, the next minute it’s like that dream where you are the last person on earth. Savor the moment.
7-Don’t expect much. In the daytime that is. With the fasting day being 16 hours long, and it being August vacay mode, believe me there is no impetus for waking up early. In our family we wake up between 9 and 10 a.m. and if you go out it’s like it’s dawn and you’re the early bird. The shops around here don’t throw open their blinds til 11 or 12. Cause they plan to open all day, close for ftour, and re-open at night. As afternoon rolls by, you can expect some blank stares, people can just start to get spaced out. Chapped lips, bad breath. Crankiness. Be compassionate. Know that the fast is different for each person, they may be having a particularly difficult day. Love them anyway.
8-Don’t be alarmed if you hear the canons roar. The pirates are not attacking the coasts. The city fires off canons to to mark the start and end of each fasting day, in case any doubt remained. Some neighborhoods have air raid sirens that go off to mark the fast. Where I live now I can only hear the canons. This way even those who live far from a mosque can still know it’s time to break fast.
9-Do shake your head at the irony of it all. Ramadan is a time of giving up food and drink for a certain time, but ironically we Moroccans consume a lot more food than usual. There are always the special reports from the Ministry of Agriculture assuring everyone that there will be enough eggs and chickpeas to meet “the increase in demand”. The shops totally cater to the frenzy as well. This year maybe the heat slowed people down a little. I do try to make the ftour meal special, but ours has lots of juice, fruit and salad. Hard to resist this:
10-Do enjoy the nights. Because in Ramadan, the nights are the real days. There are night prayers in every major mosque that start about an hour after sunset and last for an hour and a half. For Muslims, these prayers are the other half of the Ramadan equation. After the emptying out all day, this is the replenishing. I was interested to see a long line of tourists sitting near the Koutoubia mosque, enjoying the night breeze and watching the night prayers that are held in the open courtyard outside the mosque. The courtyard fills with some 5000 people who stand, sit and prostrate as the imam recites passages from the Quran. This is probably the most public prayer conducted year round so I can see why people would want to see what it’s like. After the prayers, the streets, cafes and shops come to life all over again, and it’s a light, almost giddy feel. After the inward breath and contraction of the day, this is the great expanse again.
Thousands of women in prayer at the Koutoubia mosque
For more advice on Moroccan culture and etiquette I recommend the book:
Cultureshock! Morocco (Cultureshock Morocco: A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette)
I wrote about Ramadan last year here. Ramadan Mubarak!
Life in Marrakesh 
Found your blog recently while researching for an upcoming trip. Love it and this post is one of the reasons why. Keep up the good work!
A super post! Ramadan Mubarek!
It must be quite an amazing Ramadan in the heat. We enjoyed two Ramadans in Marrakesh but in the early fall. It really was a wonderful time even though as Non-Muslims we just shared a little of it with our friends. We only managed a few days of fasting –but loved the fitur.
Have a blessed and wonderful month!
ox
This is a wonderful posting that says so much in a funny and easy way. A non-Muslim colleague from work was leaving the country the other day and said (jokingly), “Well, I leave you to your suffering.” I just said something like, “No, really, it’s not,” but your blog above is the real answer — and the real suffering, as far as I’m concerned, is living a life cut off from God.
Salaam
Great post, sums it all up. And that’s pretty much the same that’s going on in every city in Morocco.
Blessings and love
Jamila
Sorry, but Ramadan is not a fast! It never moves to the cleansing aspect of a real fast, which kicks in after about 3 days of not eating while flushing the system with water. If anything, Ramadan is an example of binge eating during the ‘allowed hours’.
An extremely unhealthy yo-yo diet if there ever was one.
No disrespect, but Ramadan needs a real re-evaluation when it comes to healing aspects and real, spiritual realisation of what it means to not having any access to food.
Try and fast, not eat but drink water for 10 days and see how you feel and see the benefits to your health!!!
Let’s move out of the dark ages and adapt to the knowledge we have today! Let’s design a Ramadan that actually cleanses the body and gives it real strength.
Think about it: Why oh why is the life expectancy of Moroccans so low when a month fasting a year should put them in the top league of world wide of longevity. Just sayin’ 🙂
Are you Muslim? Saying no disrespect and then saying everything that you just said was a a little ridiculous. It was ethnocentric and offensive.
I totally respect the idea of Ramadan and it would be fantastic if people in the Western world would take an example and learn from it and would abstain from food once in a while and not take everything for granted all the time.
I’m just not coming from a political or religious viewpoint but purely from a health point of view: Our knowledge regarding nutrition has evolved so much and I don’t see why we can not let religion and rituals move with the times in a positive and creative way?
We have a saying: what you say is what you are and by calling me “ethnocenric’ and ‘offensive’ I think your projecting your own attitude onto me as I had no intention of offending anybody.
The point is that a period of fasting should lengthen the average life expectancy. Ramadan puts a lot of strain on the body: to dehydrate the body in daytime and then eat loads of cooked and fried food before going to sleep is very, very unhealthy.
Nothing to do with my nationality or religious beliefs. I think it’s sad that we can’t discuss different view points without getting into the
name calling. Ramadan is great but I reckon it could be even better. If Ramadan were healthy life expectancies would be much higher.
Life is about change and if religious beliefs are going to be so rigid it’s only going to be a matter of a few generations before they fizzle out, just look at the West.
And I’m sorry that a discussion for you means that I can’t respectfully disagree with what you said. I’m absolutely not ethnocentric, and I don’t know what to tell you: sometimes people are offensive even when its not their intent. Comparing any place outside of the west to the west is ethnocentric. Full stop. If you don’t agree you’re entitled to your opinion and I to mine. I find it funny that whenever you accuse someone of overstepping a boundary they instantly get defensive rather than just asking why. And you have to pay attention to you rhetoric. Calling a religious belief rigid when perhaps the people who practice it don’t believe it to be so is offensive, albeit unintentionally, ya dig?
Denise, I hear what you are saying about incorporating healthier eating in Ramadan. Point taken. However, eating fried foods is all something very recent. When Ramadan was first practiced, the prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, would break fasts with dates and water and nothing else. Then again he would eat a few dates before dawn. It’s only in the present day with our access to any and all foods we take a fancy to, that people have taken to this type of indulgence. Personally I feel I’ve had a very healthy Ramadan. I usually break my fast with dates and water of course, then have a green smoothie (parsley, orange juice, banana). We have salad, fruit salad, and some light fare. Have not had anything fried, any chebbakia or slilou practically all Ramadan. Alhamdulillah I’ve felt a significant improvement in my health: lost some weight, skin cleared up, better digestion, lost my craving for intense sweets and chocolate which is just amazing for me, good energy throughout the day, and the list goes on. I’ve come to the conclusion that dairy is really hard for me to handle, because when I have milk at break fast I get the most intense headache. Everything that goes into my body at that time, I feel the effect of very clearly.
I’ve done a juice fast for 5 days so I think I know the type of fast you’re talking about (after watching the documentary “Fat, sick and nearly dead”). It was great and also at times awful.
The main problem with the Moroccan diet is the sugar, in my opinion. It breaks my heart that diabetes is such an epidemic, and yet we continue to have tea and white bread with every meal.
Anyway, Denise, I appreciate the point you’ve raised here. However your wording is problematic for practicing Muslims. Expressions like “let’s move out of the dark ages” imply that all Muslims fasting are “stuck in the dark ages”. “Let’s design a Ramadan…” also ain’t gonna fly with Muslims, for whom Ramadan is an essential pillar of faith. Come on, you are a writer and know the power of words, surely you can make a good point without risking offending an entire faith. I included your comment even though I knew it would be problematic because a)your intention in making people healthier is a good one and b) it’s essential for us to learn how to dialogue with each other even if sometimes uncomfortable.
Peace and blessing to you and yours.
Really? Then why is it SCIENTIFICALLY proven by many Muslim, and non-Muslim scientists, that Ramadan and the act of fasting helps you in so many ways mentally, physically and emotionally.
The fast that you’re describing has no value, importance or effect on how Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19112549
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/feb/18/fasting-protect-brain-diseases-scientists –
‘It is likely to be better to go on intermittent bouts of fasting, in which you eat hardly anything at all, and then have periods when you eat as much as you want,” said Professor Mark Mattson, head of the institute’s laboratory of neurosciences.’
There are many more but I’m sure you’re capable of Google-ing them.
Good day to you, and Asalaamu Alaikum.
Ze
Good day to you!
“The reason seems to be that when our bodies no longer have access to food they switch from “growth mode” to “repair mode”.
I found this in the article you shared above.
This is the beneficial aspect of a fast but can not be achieved in just the daylight hours of a day as most organs actually repair and cleanse themselves during the night. In fact the body is like a clock and moves from organ to organ during the hours of night.
So you would need a minimal period of 24 hours for a ‘fast’
You could say that eating heavy often deep fried foods eaten prior to going to bed does the opposite of what a fast should do as digestion of heavy foods during sleep impairs the repair.
So basically, as much as Ramadan is an AMAZING ritual, for many many reasons it’s not so beneficial for the overall physical health of the human body.
Hey, let’s agree to disagree and let us be able to debate with tolerance!
wa `alaykumu s-salāmu wa rahmatu l-lāhi wa barakāt
Ramadan is a fast, not only of food and water but also of certain actions and thoughts. Its a time when you can consider others who are less fortunate and a time to do good deeds. It certainly is not an example of binge eating and is not an unhealthy yo-yo diet if done correctly. I actually do not know anyone personally who binges during the eating hours. Being a sufferer of migraine, I suffer at least four days a week, during Ramadan after the first two or three days Iam usually migraine free for the rest of Ramadan. Having gone through anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, and still being a borderline binge eater, Ramadan, gives me a break, I welcome Ramadan because I know my mind and body will take a break from these afflictions.
Another great post, to the point. Thanks for educating.
A wonderful post Nora! I have to completely agree with AbdurRahman’s comment above – that the real suffering is living a life cut off from God. I pray we all reap the rewards of this blessed month InshaAllah! (I miss Morocco!)
Wonderful post, thanks! I live in the US and haven’t had a chance to experience Ramadan in Morocco yet. But this made me want to be there.
As always, enlightening, wise, and sweetly true. You should be the one writing the book! Fasting in Andalusia is not far off your experience heat-wise, but it’s longer (5.30-9.30 roughly) and the general rhythm of things obviously doesn’t change around us. I have the intention of spending Ramadan in a Muslim country again; it is so much more fun to break fast together and compare notes, and also a bit easier just to be swept along in how everyone else is doing it. All the special recipes and customs that come out, and people nodding their heads at each other in the street understandingly. It’s like everything in Islam, I think: you just don’t understand it unless you do it for yourself. Well done on another brilliant post, inshallah we’ll see you soon!
It’s true,you’ll never feel the warmth of Ramadan until it’s over.The joy and serenity that Ramadan brings make it worth fasting .Family bonds are never stronger,and that’s one thing that pumps us with the feeling of a lofty difference and subtle pride!
I gave up blogging for a while just for that !!!
Yet, couldn’t read your post without saying ” Chapeau!Chapeau bas”.
Love this post!! Ramadan mubarak to your entire family and a big hug to the kids! InshAllah we’ll be there for Ramadan soon. See you in December
This is beautiful. My fiance’s friend is Muslim, and he observes Ramadan…and we always talk about how difficult it must be, especially now that we’re experiencing 100-degree-plus heat in Reno, Nevada! (…though that’s nowhere NEAR 118…ugh…)
But now I have a new appreciation for it — thank you! 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Great post – I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco. Ramadan Mubarak 🙂
~ Shaza ~
Great post! my cousin went to Morocco from here in Canada last year and said it was one of her favourite places to visit, and has such wonderful culture. She’s been pretty much everywhere so I take her advice to heart. Your tips are excellent, and would go a long way helping travellers understand what they’re about to experience. Thanks 🙂
Thanks for a really interesting post. I was in Morocco during Ramadan last year, and you are right – those who were fasting seemed so happy to be doing so – it was a truly wonderful atmosphere.
Wow, I love this! It’s refreshing to read about different customs from an insider’s point of view and having certain misunderstandings cleared up. Great post!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful post, indeed.
What a wonderful posts!! I would love to be there. I am in South Florida, a non-Muslim, and I’m also observing Ramadan. Check out my post 🙂
http://amoonfull.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/more-energy/
Read your post and I love, love, love it. My fuller comment is over on your blog.
Thank you, again! 🙂
What a remarably fascinating post. I’ve only ever seen Morocco in photographs but I’ve always loved the colours and textures in those images.
The total shocker for me was your comment about the diabetes epidemic. Your food seems awesome, and I didn’t think your general diet was westernized to the point that it was as unhealthy as ours here in the USA. What do you attribute it to?
Yes, I’m sorry to say that’s the case. Over the last fifty years, our bread has gone from brown to white, our consumption of sugar has risen, processed food has crept into the market….the usual suspects. Healthy eating needs to enter people’s consciousness and fast. I never used to see overweight kids when I was growing up, now I do. Thanks for noticing that piece, and thanks for taking the time to read the post.
Ramadan mubarak to you, and what a comprehensive, well-written post. Your first point in particular is such a good one! I grew up in an Asian Muslim country and was privileged to experience the wonderful community, renewal of spiritual hope and relational restoration that happens during this special month.
I’m not Muslim, but I enjoy the late night feasts during Ramadan. In Mumbai, there’s a place called Mohammed Ali road, and as late as 3 am, you’ll find restaurants selling everything from biryani to kheema and all in between. Great food. I’ve always been a fan of Muslim cooking. Enjoy your festival and take care.
Just came across your blog and this post in particular. Glad I did.
Beautifully written! Makes me want to visit Morocco some day Insha’Allah! Ramadan Mubarak! 🙂
Great post!
Hello Nora,
thank you for this inspiring post about how you experience Ramadan in Morocco. Even though I am not a muslim, I am fascinated by my experience in Doha, Qatar, where I arrived just a few days before Ramadan. For obvious reasons, the basic proceedings for the day are just the same here as everywhere in the Muslim world, but of course there are a lot of cultural differences. Fortunately I am able to spend Iftar daily with the large family of a qatari friend, and this does get me closer to understanding and learning this culture and the traditions…
I enjoyed your post and want to compliment you on your humorous writing style. Great!
All the best from the persian gulf
I thought it was very interesting, though you couldn’t sell me on the fasting ( I could never do it). It just so happens that I just read a book called the Daughter of Persia, an auto biography of Satereh Farman Farmaian. It’s an account of her life in Iran, during the Pahlavi dynasty and the Islamic Revolution. You can read more about it on my post.
Darren, the book sounds fascinating, you forgot to add a link to your blog.
Hi Dohadude! Thanks for your kind comment/compliment. Your blog is very interesting, I’m enjoying reading about Qatar life from your perspective. Plus you are blogging in both German and English, hats off to you! Thank goodness for friends with large families to take in the wayfaring strangers.
Fascinating!
Very nice! Well said.
Thank you for this. I have always wondered and somehow, now you settled that wonder. I respect this precious practice. It takes deep faith, discipline and love for life to do this. =>
very nice. thanks for sharing. Look forward to new articles.
Magdalene
Thank you for that lovely post. Such graceful writing!
I always wanted to go to Morocco, to Marrakesh.
You know, even though you say–and I believe you–that the fasting isn’t onerous, I’d still hide in my hotel room to eat. I’d feel cruel and rude to eat in front of someone without sharing.
That shows your grace and good manners.
I learned a lot from this post – and enjoyed the photographs – thank you for posting!
Reblogged this on TEH TAREK.
Thanks for the reblog.
Ramadan Mubarek!
Salaam from Indonesia. We also carry out Ramadan fasting in Indonesia. Nice post
As Salaam mu alaikum! What a beautiful post! I am from South Africa, Johannesburg, and Ramadan here is nothing like you describe! InshaAllah, I will be able to spend a Ramadan in Morocco someday! True beauty!
Would love to hear how Ramadan is down there.
It’s so fascinating to read about the culture of my mother’s country. Ramadan is such a beautiful time for all around the world, and it’s lovely to see how each group of people make it their own. May Allah make this month a blessing for you and yours!
Ameen ya rabbi. Love your blog name.
Street theatre is the best possible way to demonstrate an active citizen voice. Check out this lovable post on PUPPETS, universal, beautiful, much-loved:
http://everybodyplays.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/the-significance-of-puppetry-in-street-theatre-an-introduction/
Peace ❤
More rules about how (not) to behave in Muslim countries: http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/things-not-to-do-in-muslim-countries-1/
Very good advice indeed. Love the mosque in the pictures.
The mosques in Iran were really beautiful. And NO tourists. Except myself.
I loved this post. Educational, humorous and makes me want to travel (again)! You have an avid new reader, many thanks.
Welcome on board Jess.
Assa’laam aleykum,what a nice piece of information in respect of the holy month of Ramadhan;I wish one day in the same month of fasting to join the Moroccans.
May your wish be granted.
Masha’Allah i really like this one. Since my husband is from Marrakech, I experienced praying at Khoutoubia in lailatul qadr myself and loved it. Too bad we are not there this year. Ramadan mubarak!
Were you there last year? We were there too, so we might have crossed paths and never known it.
Love this! The best part of ramadan is the spiritual high! Standing in submission, during the nightly prayers..Wow. just don’t want it to end. 😀 May Allah swt accept your ramadan.
Interesting insight
MontrealDSL
Business Blog
Wow, well-written, informative, funny and interesting – great post! And the women in prayer photo is quite a shot!
Reblogged this on TheWombRoom and commented:
We read this and thought we’d share it with you our lovelies!!
Very helpful and ‘to the point’ post, thanks for sharing!
salam aleikoum sister Nora,
Ramadan moubarak and may Allah bless you and the family!
lovely to see all the pictures and to read yours advice which couldn’t be put better into words. Allahumma taqqabbil.
love and salaams xxx
Wa alaykom salam dear one, may your time be blessed this month. Love to you and yours.
Reblogged this on The Footsteps of my Travels.
Thank you. Something is wrong with the link though, I couldn’t get through.
Reblogged this on Dawah Directions.
Alhamdulillah, nice to know morocco communities doing in ramadhan. Hoping in the future have chance to travel to moroco to feel directly ramadhan time. It’s almost similar like in my country (mostly muslim), Indonesia. Aamiin
Reblogged this on dohadude and commented:
Zum ersten Mal teile ich einen Post über die Erfahrungen mit Ramadan in Marokko. Interessant und humorvoll geschrieben…
// English
The first time that I will share a post about another person`s experience with Ramadan, this is from Morocco. Interesting and humorous.
An most interesting and well written post. I’m not a Muslim but I’ve been to Marrakech many times, though never during Ramadan. I work in London – three of my colleagues (that i know of) are keeping Ramadan and I’ve chatted with all of them about it. I’d say to one of the previous posters here not to assume that anyone who isn’t a Muslim is “cut off from God”. I’m part of the Christian minority here in the UK (yes, we’re a minority – most Europeans are NOT Christians but have no religious belief). Christians have been around longer than Muslims and we believe we’re most certainly NOT living lives cut off from God, Far from it. Christians even fast sometimes, although we don’t have set fasts like Ramadan and we might do it all kinds of ways. I had an interesting experience a couple of weeks back; I was eating at a Moroccan food stall here in London and a passing Moroccan was quite abusive towards the man serving the food for selling food during the Holy Month. The foodseller was keeping Ramadan himself but he said “I have to earn a living and I work with everyone!”, meaning his non-Muslim customers. Seems to me there are people in every religion who want to take religious laws and practices further than the originators ever meant or further than the holy books describe.
Thank you Vince for sharing your experience and perspective. It’s not always easy for us to put our beliefs on the line. I don’t speak for the previous poster, but as a Muslim I have the utmost respect for anyone following one of the beloved prophets, as this is a requirement of my faith. I look for the light that is in each of us.
Thanks for this! I will be sharing with our clients travelling to Morocco in Ramadan via our website!
I very much enjoyed reading the personal insight to your culture and your thoughtful explanation into your experience. I don’t know much about Ramadan so I’m so happy to read your blog, your writing is great! I’m a Vietnamese born Australian, and I find it sometimes difficult to explain eastern culture to westerners, and also difficult to explain western culture to easterners. But it is the beauty of diversity! I am a little troubled by the previous comments made to this post, but perhaps again this is just different views from differing cultural backgrounds. I dont believe there is a wrong or right. Anyway, thanks for sharing, your blog entry was a great read 🙂
Thank you so much, yes people like us are uniquely placed to be bridges.
Hi Moroccomama 🙂
Thank you for your comment and I can see now that people were offended by the ‘dark ages’, even though that was totally un-intentional: apologies for that! I really do think that the Dark Age applies to the whole world!!!
I mean how can we have starving children on this planet of abundance? It’s the digital dark age world wide and about time we shine a light, bright and clear!
Don’t eat and break the fast with dates is perfect as sweet fruit is basically, a cleansing food! The binging has evolved over time when the original message got lost. A real, real pity as a proper Ramadan would be free health insurance for all those following it and could even reverse serious disease such as
diabetes! Hey, there is religion and then there is what people make of it in the name of it 🙂 I live in the Moroccan part of London and I’m well aware of what’s going on and I love the fact that my friends invite me to break the fast with them when I pass by at sunset. Moroccans are so kind and generous!
My health awareness started with a 10 days no food, 4 liters of water a day and twice daily colonic irrigations. Ever since we do spring and autumn cleanses and (knock wood) we have never been ill in the last 17 years, not even a cold in winter.
I was playing agent provocateur and really didn’t mean to insult anyone. As far as i’m concerned we are one big family on this planet and our cultural differences are to be enjoyed without putting wedges between people. Ethnocentricity is far, far removed from my mind: I love Morocco and its people and art and most of the food. One day I hope to come and live in Morocco 🙂 Inshallah!
I love your blog! It’s totally amazing and sorry if i didn’t start with ‘what an amazing post’. It obviously is because otherwise I wouldn’t take out precious time to comment.
Don’t you sometimes get tired of people of just agreeing with everything and questioning nothing?
Send you love
Denise aka DC Gallin
Thank you for posting this..I’m actually flying into Morocco tomorrow and was concerned about how to be respectful to those observing Ramadan. Your advice was very helpful so again thank you 🙂
Cool! Hope you’re not spending much time in Marrakesh as the heat is now 49 degrees (120 even). I didn’t write any tips about how to deal with the heat…errr, don’t go out between 11 and 4 pm. I hope you have a wonderful time Marianne.
Wooow, your post describe Ramadan very well!! I am Indonesian. And somehow Ramadan is not only about religion, but also about culture. And nowadays, Ramadan is part of celebration. To celebrate how merciful our God, Allah Subhanahuwata’alla 🙂
Ramadan Mubarak!!
Love this dear Nora x x
assalamu alaykum
nice post mashaAllah
I absolutely adore this post. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve nominated you for the Capture the Colour photo contest. I’m am a fan of not only your writing but your images and I’m sure you have a lot of inspiring and colorful ones! I submitted quite late so if you’re interested, you only have a week to meet the deadline.
Here: http://grenobloise.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/couleur-cafe/
Regards ~
Does Ramadan differ from country to country or are these do’s and don’ts fairly standard everywhere? I’m from the U.S. where we don’t learn very much about the traditions of Ramadan.
Marie, Morocco is pretty different from the Middle East for example. Our languages, both rooted in Arabic, sound very different. And Morocco has a huge Berber cultural and linguistic identity which you don’t find in other Arab countries.
My curiosity to know more about Ramadan brought me here. Thanks for sharing and wish you a blessed year 🙂 I’ve also compiled some nice Ramadan greetings =)
Thank you for this post…as an enlightened christian who adores my Muslim friends living in Morocco I have found this informative…fasting for me is also a very sacred experience of opening my heart to the infiltration of the Love of God and sacrifice of self…this have little to do with physical health in the scientific sense but definitely also affect health of the body, mind, heart and soul on a level that some people will never understand (specially choosing to angle it through the eyes of humanity and not spirituality)…..as it is the giving of oneself to the reality of Allah and His care….His purpose and His guidance to perfect unconditional love…that is what real health is all about…eternal health…
Salaamualaikum! I actually have a question for you but I’m not quite sure about how to contact you, so I’ll comment here. I’m a student who’s taking a year off to travel before university. In June I’m going to be in France, insha Allah. I have two months free for optional travel – July and August and I really want to go to Morocco and/or Spain. Now, I realize a) it’s gonna be Ramadan for half the time and b) it’s the hottest time of the year. But it is the only time I have. I’m trying to find people to ask whether it’s a good idea to visit Morocco around Ramadan – especially as I’d have to find a family willing to host me or something! It would be great if you could email me back in the next month or two (or sooner!) if you get the time so we can talk and I can hear some advice and ideas and recommendations. Jazak Allah Khayr!
Not all of Morocco is hot in summer. Marrakesh is, of course, so I’d mainly avoid it if I were you. There are plenty of other beautiful and cool cities: Tangiers, Tetouan, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, etc. Hope this helps. Good luck with your travels, Salams,
Nora.
Hello my friend, and Ramadan kareem. It’s good to have found this post of yours, because I’m visiting Morocco for a week during Ramadan (this week actually), and I wasn’t sure what to expect during that time. To be fair, I grew up in the UAE and in my home country India, so it’s not like I don’t know what goes on during Ramadan, but it’s always good to get a local’s perspective. And I’ve been a bit irritated by a lot of the drivel that white tourists seem to put out there about their experiences in Marrakesh/Morocco, as if this is the US or Europe, so again it’s good to get the local wisdom. I wish you a good Ramadan, and I look forward to a good time in Morocco. Shukran, maa salaamah!
Hi there, my son and I are off to Marrakech tomorrow during Ramadan, thanks for this lovely post, it is beautifully written.
Thanks for sharing amazing post.