Our Ramadan experience

If you didn’t take part in one of the visits to the Ramadan celebration at Peninsula Islamic Community Center, arranged by John Herbst, you missed a wonderful opportunity. We were warmly welcomed even before we made it inside the building. Everyone was genuinely happy that we were there – smiling faces greeted us, introducing themselves, anxious to make us feel welcome. Once inside, preparations for the evening meal were in full swing and the women happily accepted our offer to lend a hand in the kitchen.

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline – sounds a lot like Lent, doesn’t it? But we learned that it's also a time of celebration and joy, to be spent with loved ones. This community, full of joy and love, gathers every evening during Ramadan to pray and break their fast. The celebration began once the call to prayer was made. The day’s fast was broken with a snack of dates and fruit and then the evening prayer was offered. Once the prayers were complete, dinner was served.

We talked with two delightful young women during dinner, both York County natives who, as one said, were “lucky to be born Muslim.” She had just graduated from high school and will be attending VCU in the fall, but she’s not sure of her major yet. She was a delightful dinner companion and generously answered all of our questions – everything from how she observes Ramadan, to whether she had ever been bullied because of her religion. Our other young host had just completed medical school and was headed to upstate New York for her internship. She told us that her family will be coming to New York at the end of Ramadan so they could all be together for the three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr, or "the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast." It's a holiday for which everyone comes together for big meals with family and friends and exchanges gifts – sounds a lot like Christmas, doesn’t it?

We left after dinner, but the celebration and prayers continued into the evening. It was an unforgettable experience, not only because we learned so much, but because we made wonderful new friends. We are truly grateful to John and Anne+ for this opportunity. We encourage you, if there’s another chance to visit the Peninsula Islamic Community Center, not to miss it!

Mary Poole

Ann Turner