Celebrating my first Eid

As an non-Muslim expat in a Muslim country, counting down until the end of Ramadan has quite a different meaning than it does to the average citizen.  For me, it meant counting down until the first Eid celebration.  During this Eid, muslims celebrate the end of their month long fast- Eid ul-Fitr.  The Eid celebration for me means- five day weekend and travel!  There are two of these Eid celebrations, one in September and one in November- both resulting in five day holiday weekends.  I learned very quickly that most expats take advantage of this time off to get away from the desert and travel to exotic places.  For those of you who thought Qatar was 'exotic'- you are sadly mistaken...Or if you're me, travel to Europe!  I'd never been to Europe so this Eid, I decided to travel to Germany-where cooler weather would greet me.

As an American on my first journey to Europe- you can imagine the first thing on my mind...fashion!  What do I wear?!  I started with a nice size duffle bag, small enough to carry-on to the plane and somehow managed to stuff it so full that it became the size of a must-check piece of luggage.

Hallo Deutschland!

Ramadan Kareem!

Guess who's back in Doha?  You guessed it, that little ole southern girl that loves sweet tea and pecan pie.  I'm back just in time for the annual, month long Islamic holiday- Ramadan. 

Ramadan occurs the ninth month of each Islamic year, which is slightly different from the calendar we know.  Its a lunar calendar which has about 355 days.  Ramadan is celebrated by a month of fasting- where Muslims restrain from drinking & eating from sunrise to sunset.  This hallmark month long fast is meant to increase individual patience, humility, and spirituality- giving Muslims time to reflect on their lives and cleanse their souls.  

This holiday is also enforced by the government of Qatar.  How does this effect me, you may ask?  Well it means that Muslim or not, I must respect and observe this holiday if I am going to reside in the country during its occurrence.  The Qatari government sets a mandate that from the beginning of Ramadan until the end of Ramadan (new moon to new moon), no employee should be required to work longer than six hours in a day.  Also, residents should not eat or drink in public between sunrise to sunset- this includes chewing gum in your car.   Restaurants are also closed during this time and open once the sun has set.  In the office, we must eat and drink in a private room of the building with the door closed.   Drinking water at your desk is prohibited as well as highly disrespectful.  So even though it is 120 degrees outside, do not be tempted to take a swig of water...you could be arrested.  

At night, once the sun has set, most Muslims partake in Iftar.  Which is bigger than a Thanksgiving feast- every day for one month....Imagine how much weight is gained....Thanksgiving everyday?  Iftar is held at almost every restaurant and is a huge buffet/ meal that breaks the fast each night.  I hope to attend at least one Iftar during this Ramadan.  I think it would be nice to simply experience it.

I must say, it is frightening being here during this month- constantly feeling like you have to watch yourself in order to not break any rule or be arrested.  Even clothing should be more conservative than conservative during this time.  However, I am glad I am getting to soak this in.  Experiencing a culture during their most sacred time of year is something that you don't get on a weekend vacation- its something that you are only able to take in when you are submerged in the community.

So yes, I am back in Doha.  Its Ramadan and its H-O-T.  Its also nearly 100% humidity.  I have mixed feelings right now as to if I am happy or sad to be back.  If you asked me now, tears would probably begin to roll down my cheeks.  I love my job and the experience that I am getting, but I also love home, friends, and family.  It was so nice to be in North Carolina this summer.  Enjoying mornings on my front porch with a coffee and watching the summer rain while rocking back and forth in my rocking chair...was hard to leave.  Now I have to look out my sandy window on the 27th floor and look down on construction sites and desert land.  Not the same.

But hey, Ramadan Kareem!  (Happy Ramadan)