Got a tip? Send it to us at manila@coconuts.co.
The good news is, it’s a long weekend. The 30-day fasting that is Ramadan is ending on Fri, Jul 17.
The sad news is, the Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country that’s just too happy about the long weekend to know what the holiday is about.
So, to say thank you for the extra 24 hours of weekend, we thought a primer on Ramadan and Eid’l Fitr would be most fitting, no?
1. FIRST: DON’T FORGET TO SAY ‘EID MUBARAK’!
While that only means, ‘Happy Eid’, it goes a long way for our Muslim brothers and sisters who’ve just gone through 30 days of fasting.
2. THIS IS HOW THEY DECIDE WHEN RAMADAN WILL BE
Dates for major Islamic events are based on the Islamic Calendar or Hijri Calendar, which is lunar, pretty confusing for non-Muslims because we use the Roman or Gregorian calendar, which is solar.
The Islamic calendar still has 12 months but it only has 354 days. The easiest way of looking at it is that each month is approximately 29.53 days — that’s why Muslims end up with shorter days overall. They typically don’t have 31-day months so it’s either 29- or 30-day months.
Of the 12 months, four are considered sacred.
Most Muslims use the Hijri Calendar in conjunction with the Gregorian.
3. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON MUSLIM FILIPINOS
Every country has its own committee that decides on and announces the exact dates for important Muslim events like Ramadan or Eid’l Fitr — that’s the NCMP for the Philippines. But like countries, we also defer to the holy men in Mecca regarding the important dates. The holy men in Dubai are often consulted.
You see, the declaration of these dates is based on Islamic Astronomy, which involve sightings of the moon — lunar calendar, remember? — and interpretations of the Quran. Not all Muslims agree on which methods to use, though. Some are strict with physical sightings of the moon, others defer to scientific calculations, and there are some who choose to wait on Saudi Arabia’s announcements.
The NCMP is ultimately in charge of when the specific holy dates are announced but they will always try to get as much outside help as they can.
4. HILAL IS THE MOST COMMON CONSIDERATION IN DECIDING THE HOLY DATES
Based on both tradition and teachers in the Quran, different considerations are definitely taken into account. The most common is the observance of the Hilal or watching out for the new crescent moon on specific months.
5. MUSLIMS CANNOT BE ON A DIET ON EID’L FITR
Think of Eid as Thanksgiving for the Americans, or Christmas and/or fiesta for Filipinos. It’s a culturally and religiously mandated celebration so fasting is forbidden. You can’t be a buzz kill during Eid. But of course, Islam is stricter when it comes to alcohol so while more liberal countries like AUE or Dubai may have a few drops of alcohol in its celebration, the more conservative countries and families will stick to traditional feasts.
6. YOU GOTTA SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS
As in, you’re required to help the poor. These days, most Muslims give alms and donations to help their more impoverished neighbors, but traditionally they have to give food just before sunrise to make sure that those who are not financially-abled can still have an Eid’l Fitr celebration. Remember: It’s a culturally and religiously mandated party.
7. MUSLIMS BRING OUT THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR THEIR PARTY
It’s tradition for families and extended families to get together and share the joy of having completed Ramadan. Eid is such a large celebration that it is its own branch of halal cuisine. Sheer Kurma, which is a festival vermicelli pudding, is served in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In Southeast Asia — in Indonesia and Malaysia for instance — Biryani is a popular and favorite dish. In the Philippines, our sweet tooth takes over. We serve a mix of local kakanin as well as things like Nasi Lemak and Lokot-Lokot, a popular snack from Zamboanga.
8. IT’S ALSO A DAY OF SHOPPING
That’s right, the day is dedicated to celebration so much that it’s become a tradition to go out and buy stuff. Adults often give their kids new clothes and shoes while they treat themselves to special items.
9. AS WELL AS A DAY OF GIFT-GIVING
Already, Eid’l Fitr sounds a lot like Christmas, or your birthday! Apart from shopping, giving gifts is a big thing during Eid. Muslims are expected to give and receive meaningful gifts from friends and loved ones.
10. EID IS A HUG-FEST
Eid”l Fitr is steeped in a deep sense of togetherness, solidarity, and brotherhood. So yes, what’s that without a hug, or at the very least, a fist bump?
11. BY FRIDAY — BY EID! — OUR MUSLIM FRIENDS ARE ALL CLEANSED AND RENEWED
Ramadan is self-sacrifice, an obligation that no Muslim can opt out of. They are meant to find themselves and find a highest state of awareness of Allah’s teachings. It’s a holy month when it’s believed that the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) received the teachings of the Quran from God. By Friday, they will have cleansed themselves from distractions of the body and should be welcomed back into the fold with a happy greeting of ‘Eid Mubarak!’
