Arabic Ramadan with American Flavor: Part 1

Written by Fawaz Alomrani — Studying Criminal Justice-Digital Forensics , At TIFFIN UNIVERSITY, and from Saudi Arabia .

I am approaching the middle of Ramadan and me and all other Muslims are preparing for Eid. Apart for the joy of Eid in this spiritual month, I never thought that the matter of fasting in Washington DC would be easy. This is my first Ramadan away from my family, and even though I have been in the United States since 2012, I never thought that I will spend Ramadan by myself. I have always imagined Ramadan among my family in one meal. Every day I have mix emotions between going to work, fasting, and returning from work to prepare Iftar meal. I feel exhausted and tired thinking that I am alone! But it does not mean that there is no Ramadan in Washington. Through my experiences, I have discovered that I am not alone and I have people of all nationalities fasting as well. In a joyful way, I felt that I was back home. Everything you need for Ramadan is available here in Washington, from food, to decorations, and, of course, the Ramadan spirit. Besides that, there are also Taraweeh prayers in mosques. These are special prayers, because we, Muslims, do them together as a group in a mosque. Will I try again? I have not yet judged everything, we will see by the end of the holy month of Ramadan.