Time to reflect and consider the patience

"time of Testing is here. This year's ramadan is especially challenging for the thousands of people who fast for as long as the sun is up this bright month."

"– You become stronger, think of the poor people without food, and become more patient, " says Nour Fansa."

"Lent is an important period and is a time for reflection, family and faith. When the sun goes down, break the fast and celebrate together with food and drink. But it is not everyone who has their family gathered in Sweden and to celebrate the feast here may therefore be different compared with other countries."

"– Ramadan compare with christmas in Sweden. You like to meet the family, those you have not met in a long time, eating together and so. But when you move to another country, it becomes more difficult to have such activities. It depends on whether you have moved alone or if you live with his family, " says Nour Fansa, who works as an architect at the same time as he reads a master in the same subject."

"this Year ramadan is his fourth in the country and he eats alone most days. But sometimes he is invited home to friends and three to four times the next month, he'll go to a restaurant with their friends. Then he moved to Sweden five years ago, he experiences that the understanding of and knowledge about ramadan has become better and better."

"– On the job is great, almost everything about ramadan now. But in the beginning it was a lot of questions, says Fansa, who adds that it's just nice to be able to tell."

"The muslim year follows the moon and is, therefore, the moves of ramadan every year. This year will be held between 5 may and 4 June, and next year it will be a few weeks before. One fasts during the hours when the sun is up – which makes this year's Swedish fasting period extra challenging when it occurs during the brightest season of the year. The sun goes up early and down late, which makes it fast around 18-19 hours. The sick, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and travelers are exempt from the requirement of fasting."

"– ten years it might be great to celebrate ramadan in Sweden, " says Nour Fansa and laughs."

"That fasteperioderna are long, he does not see that any direct problems – but it might be difficult with your sleep. When he comes home in the evenings he usually sleep for a while and then go out and eat, you just have to wake up in time."

"– It has happened that I almost missed the time, " he says."

"One of the five pillars"

"Ramadan, the ninth month of the islamic calendar, is said to be the month in which God revealed himself to Muhammad, and the prophet received his calling. By refraining from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk, muslims learn patience and humility, purify the soul, and contemplate the religion's commandments. Fasting is one of islam's five pillars. It is also a time for socializing with family and friends, and the pace of work tends to decline."

"Ramadan starts when the crescent gossamer cut for the first time can be seen during the ninth month of the islamic calendar. It is now used astronomical mätmedel to determine the exact time. Because the islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, unlike the gregorian is a solar calendar, move the date for the ramadan back about eleven days each year. Fasting is usually in the 29 or 30 days, depending on how the moon can be seen. In the year last month from 16 may to 14 June."

"the Quran states that people who have a disease or any other health conditions that make fasting harmful is exempt from the duty of fasting. In addition to the sick can pregnant women, children and the elderly are excluded, and who is not capable of fasting has the right to break it. The one who does not fast can also compensate by donating money to charity or to the poor."

"the midnight sun no obstacles"

"For muslims who live far to the north can be fixed during the spring and summer to be cumbersome as the hours between sunset and sunrise, are few – or none at all. There are then a number of options to get around the problem: It divides the day into twelve hours times two, and fasts only during the hours count as a day. Another way is to calculate the solar times of Mecca or Medina. The third option is to use the times for the most nearby place where the sun actually goes down at night."

"Ramadan is also a time for celebration. After dark you hold the meals with family and friends. Fasting month ends with a three-day long feast, the id al-fitr. Then, it is free to the chills and the usual fare that is served up on the table include mezze (hors d'oeuvres, for example, vinbladsdolmar), lamb stews, lamb and chicken skewers, lens and pumpasoppor, böngrytor and sweets as dates, cakes, and baklava (pastry with honey and nuts)."

"Sources: Institute for language and folklore, National Geographic, Expressen and Dagens Nyheter."