Happy Ramadan!

May 2, 2022

“This Ramadan story was written by a parent in my class, Saadia Shaza. We collaborated and turned it into a puppet play that we performed for the kindergartens. I hope you enjoy this sweet and educational story about Ramadan.”
– Christianna Riley, Pumpkin Patch Teacher & Pedagogical Lead

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Halima, who lived with her family near the
edge of the forest. She was excited, since she knew that soon it would be the ninth month
of the lunar calendar, and Ramadan would begin.

On the night near the new moon, Halima went outside with her family to see if the
time had come. She wanted so much to see the sliver of moon that would begin this special
time!

After dinner, as the sun set, she and her family went outside to see if they could catch a
glimpse of the crescent. Halima went into the dark night with her family. They carried
lanterns to light their path. They walked and walked until they got to a field. They brought
a blanket to spread out, and Halima’s Mama brought a thermos with warm tea to sip as
they waited and watched.

Halima realized she had forgotten her binoculars. She ran home to get her binoculars, and on the way back, in the dark night, Halima took a wrong turn and found herself in the
forest.

She asked herself, “Which way do I go?”

Then she heard a familiar sound.

Hooooo Hooooooooo Hooooooooooooo!

It was the sound of her friend Owl. She was so happy to see him! Owl swooped down to her.

“Halima, what are you doing here all alone?” asked the gray owl with huge round eyes and
silvery feathers.

“It is almost Ramadan!” said the girl. “Soon it will be time to fast.”

“What is Ramadan, and what is fasting?” asked Owl.

“Ramadan lasts one month. It is a time to reflect on ourselves, to be thankful and to help
others. Fasting happens during these special thirty days. During our fast, we eat and drink
only when it’s dark outside.”

“You don’t eat and drink all day?!” said Owl.

“Well, before the sun peeks out each day, we have a big meal. We fill our bellies with food
that will give us energy all day. When the sun disappears in the evening, we gather with
family and friends to break our fast with a feast!”

“That sounds so fun,” said Owl. “Can I come? What do you eat?”

“Every family has different foods that are part of their tradition, but everyone begins their
evening meal with a plump juicy date. In my family, we always make pakoras! Those are
delicious fried potatoes and vegetables with yummy spices!”

“But why do you fast?” asked Owl.

“We fast because we know there are many people who are less fortunate than us. We
appreciate how lucky we are, and we give thanks!”

“Halima, what else do you do during Ramadan?”

“We think about what is most important to us, and we spend time with family. We pray, we
lend a helping hand, and try to do other good deeds.”

“How do you know it is the end of Ramadan?”

“When the new crescent moon finally appears in the sky, it marks the end of Ramadan and
then we celebrate Eid! Eid is also called the Sweet Festival.”

“What happens then?”

“For the next three days we eat and pray, and we give each other gifts.”

“This all sounds like so much fun! Can I come and celebrate with you?”

“Of course you can! Gathering together in community is the best way to spend the month
of Ramadan. But first, I need to get to my family. Can you help?”

“Yes! Jump on my back, and I will take you to them.”

Halima and Owl soared up in the sky. It was a cloudy night, but they flew up so high they
made it above the clouds to a clear sky, and there they saw…

A beautiful, thin crescent moon.

“Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan!!!!” Halima exclaimed.

They swooped down and found her family and so many other families looking for the
moon. Halima announced, “We saw the moon! Tomorrow is Ramadan!”

Everyone celebrated and shouted “Ramadan Mubarak!” while hugging each other.
What a joyous time it would be.

– Saadia Shaza, Kindergarten Parent