Ramadan in Mexico: Day One

Ramadan Decorations

This past week I had been counting down the days for Ramadan, only some days ago I bought a good portion of local dates, and each day the beginning of a holy month would draw closer and closer… My second Ramadan in Mexico, once again far from the Ummah and mosque I grew up with, and as the first day of Ramadan approached an air of nostalgia softly wrapped around me. I thought of all the friends, brothers and sisters that so kindly received my family from the very first time we stepped into the mosque, removing our shoes, and stepping into a welcoming and peaceful world… I thought of my parents, whose Ramadan month was spent between moving, packing, and the uncertainty of where destiny would take them. My mother found in our sisters a family that would warmly comfort her, knowing her daughter was far away and well aware of the language barrier… I had left a void behind me, distance and circumstances forced our separation unwontedly… And for the second time, I must say I found myself newly decorating my apartment on the first night of Ramadan, hanging up the colorful paper banners I made and mixing them with the handmade decorations I received from my parents…

Ramadan, a month of reflection, prayer, fasting… a new chance to increase our knowledge, our imam, our spirituality… I begin this month with the hope that I may nourish and grow from its fasting and prayer, it is a special and holy month and no matter where we find ourselves in the world, whether we have a welcoming ummah or mosque, or be far from our families, we must embrace it as well as we can. I live in a country whose Muslim population is small, virtually nonexistent, whose current culture may often differ from Islam and its values, and embracing Ramadan, living its thirty days in their totality starting from within, with our minds, hearts, and spirits, and sharing it with the world that surrounds us is the best way to share our faith, show what Islam can be…

This year is a bit different, although I begin Ramadan alone, insh’allah my parents will arrive in time to spend the remainder of the month here… and although I will much miss and think of past Ramadan months at our mosque, I take it as a blessing that I may experience a new kind of Ramadan, once again with my family and in search of that special inward peace that fasting and prayer can provide…

My Ramadan banners…

Ramadan In Mexico: Decorations

Ramadan Decorations