Ramadan
Ramadan is a special time for Muslims and, with over 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, is one of the most widely celebrated religious events globally.
The Islamic calendar follows the phases of the moon, which means Ramadan falls on different dates each year. This year, Ramadan is expected to begin on the evening of Friday 28th February and end on the evening of Sunday 30th March but dates may vary depending on moon sightings.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and one of the holiest months for Muslims. For the whole of the month, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, so don’t eat or drink anything during daylight hours. Typically, people will have a meal before dawn (suhoor) and then another after sunset (iftar). Children under the age of 14 do not fast.
Why Muslims celebrate
Muslims celebrate Ramadan to grow closer to Allah (God) and develop self-discipline, gratitude and empathy for those in need. The month commemorates the revelation of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, to the Prophet Muhammad.
Fasting during Ramadan allows Muslims to devote themselves to their faith, teaches them self-discipline and reminds them of the suffering of the poor. During Ramadan, Muslims will spend more time in prayer, doing good deeds and trying to give up bad habits. In addition to this, it’s also an important family time, so more time will be spent will their family and friends.
How is Ramadan celebrated?
Celebrations vary across cultures but often include:
- Fasting: Adults and older children fast during daylight hours. Younger children often fast for shorter periods of time and join their families for suhoor and iftar.
- Prayers: Muslims spend additional time praying. Special prayer services, called Taraweeh, take place nightly during Ramadan.
- Charity: Zakat (giving to charity) and acts of kindness are encouraged during the month.
- Community: Families and friends gather for iftar meals, and mosques often host communal prayers and events.
At the end of Ramadan, there is a festival called Eid al-Fitr. It is a joyful celebration with prayers, feasts and gifts. Muslims celebrate the end of their fasting but also thank Allah for giving them the strength to be able to fast.
How can I teach my class about Ramadan?
Busy Things has several activities related to Ramadan to help you learn about and celebrate Ramadan as a class. These activities are:
Write about Ramadan – Explain what it is and how it’s celebrated. What is special about the time?
Ramadan lanterns – Choose one of the six lantern templates and decorate it online with blocks of colour or patterns.
It’s great for hand-eye coordination and developing good mouse control.
Virtual henna tattoos – Create unique henna tattoo designs with our templates and design tools.
Can you make yours symmetrical?
Celebrating through food. If any of your class celebrate Ramadan, they will taste and see Ramadan delicacies first-hand. Perhaps they could bring in a selection of things to share with the class or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could try to make your own using these recipes!
Ramadan Eid al-Fitr – Your pupils could also create their own Eid al-Fitr feast using our picture project activity.
What are the dishes they’d include?
Islamic art activity – The children in your class will love exploring the different pattterns they can create with this tool.
There are five templates, which replicate patterns that can be seen throughout Islamic culture.
Want to see some of these activities?
If you’re trialling Busy Things or are already a subscriber, you can find all these activities, a) by accessing your age group’s profile and clicking on Special Events or b) by typing Ramadan into the Search tool.
Not subscribing to or trialing Busy Things?
Feel free to try the activities available for free in this blog. If you’d like to see more, we’d love you to take out a free 28-day trial with us! Simply click here to do so. You’re more than welcome to a virtual tour via Zoom too. We can arrange that for you if you contact us here!