And you thought weather charts were interesting
Ramadan kareem! That elusive crescent moon has finally been sighted in Senegal, so today marks the start of the holy month for followers of the Muslim faith.
For my family, at least, I know that the subject of Ramadan never came across the family dinner table (instead it was airborne brown bread and shepherd’s pie that enjoyed prominence at each New England repast). So with that in mind, I will give you a little bit of information on what this holy month is about – just remember that you are ”learning” about this period through the eyes of a decidedly secular toubab who knows that her description is woefully incomplete. I suggest you continue your research elsewhere if you want to actually learn something.
To the faithful, Ramadan marks the month that the Koran (Qur’an) was sent to the Prophet Muhammed as guidance to mankind. The Islamic year does not follow the Gregorian calendar (it follows the moon, as you can see above), so Ramadan starts about eleven days earlier each year. It’s a month for prayer, reflection and renewal.
Ramadan involves many traditions, but most people know it means observers will abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset (unless you are old, young, infirm, enjoying your monthly special time, etc). Prayers and communal meals that break the day’s fast are important aspects, and as such I am told that the night hours are filled with moments well-worth experiencing.
Ramadan must feel different, depending on where you are situated on the globe (I can’t help but wonder how it is in Alaska). Here in Dakar, it’s not the hours of sunlight so much as the summer heat that makes things so challenging. You throw in some of the country’s worst power outages in years, and you’ve got potential for some mighty irate people. And I’m not just talking about the 95% Muslim population.
To wit: I am in fact, typing this entry while sitting in the dark, wondering why I looked so hard for living accommodations that had a generator. The power went out over 50 minutes ago, and in that time I have re-typed this entry after it was erased by the latest coupure (that’s power outage- you’re gonna learn that French word whether you want to or not). So while I may have had supper before sunset, I’m still a little bit irked. You throw in a bunch of hungry people who are looking forward to their hot iftar (evening meal), and I can only imagine how irate they are going to be.
Anyways, we are only a few hours into the holy month, so I am sure that I’ll have more to say as we move forward in the month. That is, of course, if my power ever comes back on and allows me to put this up on the web….
From my recliner, I’m looking out over the city, and it’s pretty dark out there. The African Renaissance Monument is lit up, but I see a lot of dark houses and neighborhoods. That’s pretty sad, but not altogether surprising. What’s worse, Senegalese are not Americans- so cereal is not going to be an acceptable substitute for supper tonight. I hope to Allah that the power comes back on soon.
P.S. It’s over two hours later. After finally meeting my neighbors (what better format for a social mixer than a coupure?) and talking to my building Super (“the generator is fried,” he informed me. No kidding.), I was able to beachcomb through my apartment in the pitch black and locate my headlamp. That only took an hour. For your entertainment I captured this Hallmark moment with my cell phone:
In the darkness, the Olmsted Scholar spelunks for cultural significance…
Again, you won’t ever read about this until my power comes on. Looks like I’m going to be serenaded to sleep with Advil PM and the chants religieux coming from the nearby mosque.