Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and sexual activities from dawn until sunset. Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility, and spirituality. It is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about ten days each year depending on the moon. Muslims believe Ramadan to be the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

Iftar

In many Muslim and non-Muslim countries with large Muslim populations, the faithful will abstain from food from sun up to sundown, but at dusk the family will gather for fast-breaking, known as Iftar. The sundown meal starts with the ritual eating of a date — just as Prophet Muhammad was believed to have done. Then it's time for a prayer to thank Allah followed by the meal. In many homes, this is a simple meal of fruits and vegetables along with traditional Middle Eastern fare.

Over time, Iftar has grown into banquets and small festivals. This is a time of fellowship with families, friends and surrounding communities, but may also occupy larger spaces at mosques or banquet halls, where a hundred or more may gather at a time.

Most markets close down during evening prayers and the Iftar meal, but then re-open and stay open for a good part of the night. Muslims can be seen shopping, eating, spending time with their friends and family during the evening hours. In many mid-east countries, this can last late into the evening, to early morning. However, if they try to attend to business as usual, it can become a time of personal trials, fasting without coffee or water.

Eid ul-Fitr

The holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر‎) marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new moon has been sighted. The Eid falls after 29 or 30 days of fasting, per the lunar sighting. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking the Fast; a special celebration is made. Food is donated to the poor (Zakat al-fitr); everyone puts on their best, usually new, clothes; and communal prayers are held in the early morning, followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The prayer is two Raka'ahs only, and it is optional (mustahabb) prayer as opposed to the compulsory five daily prayers. Muslims are expected to do this as an act of worship, and to thank God.

New Born Babies

Babies fuss sometimes. It’s part of being a baby, and there’s not a whole lot you can do to stop it. Fussiness and crying can be brought on by anything from hunger or discomfort to loneliness or a sense of frustration. Babies have a difficult time communicating what they want, and in many cases really don’t even know what they want. Their ability to process why they don’t feel happy at the moment is almost as primitive at first as their ability to express their frustration is.

Of course, some babies are more strong willed and prone to being fussy than others. That’s perfectly normal. How many parents have told you that one of their babies was a “good baby” and the other one was a “terror?”

Regardless of how often, how hard, or how long your baby cries or fusses, though, you can do yourself and your baby a favor by remaining calm. Emotions are powerful things, and you can bet that your baby picks up on yours. When you are frustrated or angry, she picks up on that. Likewise, when you are happy and peaceful, she senses that as well.

It can be difficult to stay calm when your baby is crying. Your natural instinct as a parent is to try to meet her needs, and when nothing you try seems to be working it can be very frustrating, especially if you don’t have a naturally calm temperament. Here are some things you can do to help yourself remain calm when your baby is anything but:

• - Sing. Soft, sweet songs not only help baby calm down, but mom and dad as well.
• - Pray. If it’s not your thing, that’s fine, but many people do find a lot of comfort in praying.
• - Meditate. We don’t suggest doing this while the baby is actually fussy and needy, but many parents find that meditating for a little while every day helps them to relax and stay calmer throughout the day.
• - Play soothing music. Turn the radio or mp3 player on to something nice and relaxing. Soft jazz or Classical music is perfect for this.
• -Talk calmly to baby. Using a soothing tone, even in speaking, calms you as much, and maybe more, than it does baby.
• - Step out of the room if you need to. Make sure baby is someplace safe, of course. Understand that being with baby and being overly frustrated isn’t helping meet baby’s needs. Take a step away. Your baby will be OK until you get back, and you will be better prepared to take care of her.
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