Update Per Min – There are about 8 billion people in the world. And all the Muslims of them are fasting from sunup to sundown—every day for an entire month.
It’s Ramadan, the month of the Muslim calendar. In 2023, it runs from March 22 to April 21. This is similar to the Ancient Hindu ( Sanatan) Tradition of Navratri and the holiest month, also known as “Chaitra Mah“.
If you happen to not be a Muslim, but still want to show care and consideration towards your fasting friends in the US during Ramadan, are there any actions you should take to avoid appearing insensitive?
Short answer: No. Long answer: No. Everyone In US is secular and should maintain secularism. Ramadan is same sacred festival as like other festivals of other religions. There are many festivals in different parts of the world who does fasting of day-night without even drinking a sip of water not in day neither in night (Know about traditions).
But you can gain some cool points if you follow these 10 tips:
1. Throughout the 30-day period of Ramadan, Muslims worldwide will refrain from consuming food and beverages while the sun is up. However, this does not imply that one should not continue with their usual business practices. It is just necessary to ignore the sound of our empty stomachs.
2. It is recommended that you host a brown-bag if necessary. However, do not feel guilty if a Muslim colleague declines the invitation and sits out, just like a vegetarian friend at a churrascaria. The same goes for a happy-hour mixer; if your Muslim co-worker chooses not to participate, please be understanding.
3. You don’t need to do fast. it’s not going to hurt your friend or colleague’s feelings – even if we’re best friends.
4. Iftar is the breaking of the fast after sundown. We like to make it a big communal meal which includes specials dishes of Meat and non-veg. You are completely eligible to say a polite No to your friend or colleague if you are vegan.
5. Ramadan isn’t like Christmas or Thanksgiving but it’s so similar to ancient Bharatiya Chaitra Mah ( This is also known as Indian New Year as per Vikram Samvat), as in everyone knows exactly when it’ll fall. It bounces around because the Islamic calendar is lunar. When it begins depends on when the new moon is seen. That’s why the precise dates change from year to year.
6. The method of determining the start of Ramadan is quite traditional – one has to visually witness the moon, despite the availability of various apps for this purpose. This is why, if a co-worker requests to begin work earlier to leave sooner during Ramadan, it would be helpful to try and accommodate their request.
7. Muslims can’t drink coffee. Not even water. But we’ll walk with you if you want to take a break.
8. There’s one word to describe it: halitosis. It can be difficult to go without food or drink for an entire day, which is why we may maintain a slight distance when engaging in conversation.
9. Unlike the controversy surrounding the “war on Christmas,” there is no such issue with the greeting “Happy Ramadan.” Your Muslim colleague will appreciate the considerate gesture.
10. Please don’t say, ‘I should fast, too. I need to lose weight. Ramadan is not about overeating. In fact, one of the unintended consequences of Ramadan is weight gain due to excessive consumption of food after breaking the fast at sunset.
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