Ramadan kareem!

Well it is the first day of fasting here in Egypt and also many other countries.

It's been a blessedly quiet day, though I have a feeling that is only going to be for the first day of fasting and then things will be back to their usual -  busy, loud and crowded.

We just got to the in-laws a short while ago.  I found out that it's traditional to break the first day of fasting with your parents and other relatives.  It is also traditional to break fast on the last day of Ramadan with your parents and or family.  When I say traditional though, I don't mean in Islam, I only mean in a cultural sense. 

Just a bit over an hour to go until we have iftar, which is what we call the meal that breaks the fast.  I have been at turns both hungry and thirsty today, but nothing that has been unbearable.  Of course, the last hour before iftar is usually pretty hard.  You know the food is coming and you can smell good food smells everywhere and it can become a bit of a test.  If ever the time passed slow, it's during that last hour.

A funny thing that seems to happen for me during Ramadan is that I'll get hungry or thirsty and think to myself, "Well, I'll just go have that leftover pasta", or "I'll go have some cold water, that would be great right now", and then immediately I remember that I'm fasting and I can't.  But it happens over and over throughout the day.  I can't remember if that goes away after getting a bit into Ramadan but I don't think it goes completely, maybe just lessens.

It is a tradition in Islam to break your fast with dates and or water.  I generally do both.  And if no dates are available there is always water alhamdulillah.  My in-laws drink a substance kind of like buttermilk/yogurt when they break their fast but I prefer the water instead.

I will try to share some more traditions or other things from Ramadan as the month goes on.

For now, God bless each and every one of us, no matter what our religion or faith.