Sana’a-Khalid Al-Dhababy
“Welcome, welcome Ramadan….the month of forgivenessâ€. With these words, the Yemeni people welcome the month of Ramadan. It is a month spent fasting and praying to get closer to God, in a similar fashion to the rest of the Islamic nations. Every country has its traditions especially on this occasion. The visitor to Yemen in this month will find a different taste, with markets packed with different people speaking different dialects.
Life goes quiet during the day and the streets look empty in contrast to their usual buzz. It stays like this until noon when you will be surprised by the sudden movement of pedestrians in the streets and markets. At the time of Iftar (the breaking of the fast) people will go either to their houses or to the mosque, where meals will be provided by charitable persons.
The Iftar in Yemen is very simple. Dates eaten with some water or coffee specially prepared by housewives. After the sunset prayer people go back to their houses to have the main meal, of shafut (bread with holes mixed with milk and baiaa, a green, spicy vegetable similar to spring onions). It is a tasty meal loved by the tourists, in addition to meats of different kinds, sweets and salads. |