When Shakeela Najjar and her family hear that call, they observe the evening Maghrib prayer together, and break their daylong fast in celebration of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday observed this year from August 19 until September 21.
From sunup until sundown, Najjar (CAS12) refrains from eating and drinking. Most people find it shocking when I tell them I dont even drink water during the fast, she says. Because Ramadan follows the Islamic lunar calendar, the holiday rotates through the seasons, beginning 11 days earlier this year than last. Fasting is harder, says Najjar, because the days are longer, and that means more time without food.
