End of Ramadan

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By AH

Posted on 10/13/07

Today we finished the last day of Ramadan. The much awaited Eid celebration will be observed tomorrow, October 14. The 30 days of fasting went by quickly as people were busy in worship and getting ready for this Eid day. Shop-till-you-drop may be quite true for many people. Malls are literally filled with people; make-shift stalls can be seen on the sidewalks and on go-carts. If you don’t have an idea of what you are going to buy, don’t go shopping – window shopping should be avoided unless you love to hang around crowds with your empty stomach. Restaurants are partially shut-down during the day time due to fasting. Another group of people you see regularly during the month of Ramadan are the beggars. A large number of them come to the city for charity. Ramadan is a month of charity and forgiveness. People are expected to give, as per Quranic guidance, two and half percent of their wealth to the needy. Much of this distribution is voluntary, and people can be seen donating openly to large numbers of crowds. This may be quite an unusual site to a westerner. It is also interesting to see how the city is deserted as capital city dwellers flee to their home districts to celebrate Eid with families and friends. It is estimated that as much as 40 percent of the population leaves the city during the last two days of Ramadan. As a consequence, the busy streets are no longer as busy, and the traffic situation is dramatically improved all of a sudden. There is a scarcity of routine workers such as chauffeurs, security guards, house maids etc., as they take leave to go home to celebrate Eid. The void is filled by some temporary workers. Anecdotal evidence suggest that the regular city workers may be replaced by inept workers who take over driving and the regular chores, creating some worries among the city's population. We may not find the city as efficient as you might expect, however, this may be a blessing in disguise for those who have been waiting for this break. I will report on the festivities in my next blog. Eid Mubarak!! (Happy EID)