Ramadan
The Festival of Fasting (By Grace Leuchtenberger)
An Islamic Pillar
Muslims are required by Islamic law to observe this holiday. During Ramadan, one must fast throughout the day to prove their devotion to Allah and purify themselves. This holiday is closely related to food.
Basic Islamic Dietary Laws: Halal
Some Background
Dates
Dates are traditionally used to break the daily fast during Ramadan. After dates are eaten, people traditionally drink tea and coffee. Dates are important because they break the fast and kick start the digestive system for feasting later in the night. Apparently, a story in the Middle East is that one can survive indefinitely on 10 dates and one glass of milk per day.
http://www.organicspark.com/portfolio/technique-how-i-replace-white-sugar/Fesenjan
Harira Soup
http://www.saidaonline.com/en/news.php?go=fullnews&newsid=28434
Ramadan Food Symbolism
Because Islam is prevalent across Asia and the Middle East, each country has its own food customs for Ramadan. Different foods are eaten in different countries. But one thing unites all the people who celebrate Ramadan: faith in Islam.
Bibliography
Works Cited
Katme, A. M. "Faith and Food - the Way to Your Heart." Faith and Food - the Way to Your Heart. Faith and Food, 2009. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://www.faithandfood.com/Islam.php>.
"Ramadan: Recipes and Traditions." Whats4Eats RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. <http://www.whats4eats.com/holidays/ramadan-recipes-and-traditions>.
"Ramadan Visual Symbology." Creativebits™. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2014. <http://creativebits.org/inspiration/ramadan_visual_symbology>.