The One Hundred Days Countdown for Ramadan

This morning I woke up to a very exciting piece of news: today, Sunday the 31 March 2013, means it’s only 100 more days till the first of day of the Holy month of Ramadan! I read that on instagram and I suddenly could smell the aroma of incense mixed with Arabian coffee and crushed cardamom, I could hear the sound of prayers from the nearby mosques and the wise words of the Holy Quran being recited. I could see the traditional dresses radiating with bling and the children clapping in  the street going from door to door singing and asking for qerqaian candy. In one second all that reminds me of ramadan came crashing and I realised, with the fondest pang, that I miss Ramadan so so much.

Only a hundred more days, and tomorrow 99! You can already notice the Ramadan preparations: traditional dara’a exhibitions popping up everywhere, traditional gifts and qergaian ideas and orders being placed, and reservations to visit holy Mecca are being made. This Ramadan is extra special for me, you see I was born in Ramadan, on the fifth of Ramadan to be exact and this year my two birthdays (17th of July and 5th of Ramadan) will be in the very same day for the first time! That happens once every 33 years by the way

I love Ramadan. I love everything about it. I love its food, its drowsy mornings we spend at work wondering what are we doing up so early and why didn’t we schedule our vacations in Ramadan. I love its afternoons when you return home, hungry but feeling calm and serene especially if you sit on your prayers mat with a copy of the Holy Quran. I love its evenings when you are famished, but you are trying to prepare something delicious for futoor and tweeting with your friends on twitter, discussing the latest advances in the ridiculous shows that are on TV.

I love its futoor time, when you have just finished your Maghrib prayers and you sit down on the table, laden with all you wanted to eat and couldn’t during the day. I love the after-futoor couch and tea time, having quality time with your loved ones. I love the night time, the prayers, the shopping for eid, the ghabgas and visitations with friends and family. I love the Suhoor time, when you eat something light with a few too many cups of water and then spend the time till the morning prayers in silence, praying.

I love Ramadan. Everything about Ramadan. I can’t wait for Ramadan to be here and insah2 Allah by god’s will we will live long enough to witness its arrival and enjoy its holy days again. Allah y3oodna insha2 Allah