In Syria, each Ramadan season brings with it a host of traditions touching everything from food to the social life.
Children wake eagerly in the still-dark morning to wait for the Mseherati, the traditional herald who drums the neighborhood awake for Suhur, the pre-dawn meal before fasting begins. And as the day grows hotter, so does anticipation of Iftar, the evening meal that ends the fast.
Meanwhile, from the simplest village kitchen to the chef’s domain at the Four Seasons Hotel, cooks are working to prepare special Ramadan dishes and drinks that expand the normal Syrian dinner to a banquet.
Special breads, sweets, and mezze, or side dishes, are added to the usual spread. To share the feast, families make a point to gather together, and it's de rigeur to call all your friends with good wishes for the season—or, at least to send them a congratulatory SMS!
Nor does the spirit of generosity stop with next of kin. While it is possible to give Zakat, or charity, at any time of year, many people choose to give during Ramadan, both because it is thought to accrue extra blessings, and because the season lends itself on reflection on how it feels to do without.
Religion also becomes more communal in this time, with even people who do not always pray becoming more observant, and many people praying both the required daily prayers and extra Ramadan prayers, called Teraweeh, which must be prayed in the company of others. The pinnacle of this focus is Leilet al-Qudr, or the Night of Fate, which falls on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan. People flock to mosques to pray through the entire night.
While it is exhausting, it is also full of joy and cheer, and perhaps this is the secret to the transformation Ramadan effects; where changes in daily habits can transform an ordinary day into a festive circle of joy.
Meanwhile, from the simplest village kitchen to the chef’s domain at the Four Seasons Hotel, cooks are working to prepare special Ramadan dishes and drinks that expand the normal Syrian dinner to a banquet.
Special breads, sweets, and mezze, or side dishes, are added to the usual spread. To share the feast, families make a point to gather together, and it's de rigeur to call all your friends with good wishes for the season—or, at least to send them a congratulatory SMS!
Nor does the spirit of generosity stop with next of kin. While it is possible to give Zakat, or charity, at any time of year, many people choose to give during Ramadan, both because it is thought to accrue extra blessings, and because the season lends itself on reflection on how it feels to do without.
Religion also becomes more communal in this time, with even people who do not always pray becoming more observant, and many people praying both the required daily prayers and extra Ramadan prayers, called Teraweeh, which must be prayed in the company of others. The pinnacle of this focus is Leilet al-Qudr, or the Night of Fate, which falls on the twenty-seventh day of Ramadan. People flock to mosques to pray through the entire night.
While it is exhausting, it is also full of joy and cheer, and perhaps this is the secret to the transformation Ramadan effects; where changes in daily habits can transform an ordinary day into a festive circle of joy.
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