Festivals are one of the most important events in any community since they are dedicated to a particular idea and gather the whole society or family to celebrate it. In my experience, the most memorable event is the Ramadan celebration which is a religious festival. Even though I do not participate in Ramadan fasting, I enjoy it every year since it has symbolic significance to my family and community.
During this annual festival, which usually lasts around a month, Muslim people keep fasting from around 4 am until 9 pm. Fasting keepers and others alike invite each other to the iftar, that is, the evening meal when fast keepers end their daily Ramadan routine. Moreover, during this month, people are encouraged to respect others, perform good deeds, and remain clean from sins such as lying and theft.
This festival is significant for me because of the solidarity between community members. Both Muslim and non-Muslim members understand the value of Ramadan and try to support each other as much as possible. Since fasting is a difficult task, those who do not keep it help those fasting keepers both mentally and physically. For instance, my father and brother fast every year, and I try to prepare them an iftar (evening meal) and suhoor (morning meal).
In addition, during this month, people are kinder and sincere towards each other. This symbolic importance has not changed for me over the years since I still experience the same level of enjoyment every year during the festival. However, over the last two years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival is celebrated very differently. Since social distancing was imposed, people could not gather for meals. Such a condition was especially difficult for fasting keepers since the community support played a significant role for them. Nevertheless, people tried to provide family support as much as possible by arranging family dinners.
To conclude, Ramadan month, a religious festival, is my favorite and most memorable event of the year. Community solidarity and family support are crucial during this festive period. Individuals behaving better and kinder towards others during this month is another part of the festival that I appreciate. I sincerely hope that as the pandemic will be over, my community and I will enjoy the festival as before.