Eid al-Fitr

Well, Ramadan is over--it has been for quite some time now, we've just been a little too busy to update this--and the normal rhythm of life has returned to Amman. It is interesting that just as the onset of Ramadan required us to adjust mentally, the end of Ramadan has required mental adjustments as well. For instance, during Ramadan we of course would not eat or drink outside--or even chew gum--lest we draw the ire of those around us who were officially supposed to be fasting, and so we would be sensitive to the culture around us. We even felt self-conscious eating or drinking in front the big windows at the front of our apartment. This self-consciousness lasted even after Ramadan had ended, as occasionally we found ourselves retreating from the windows with food or drink, only to remind ourselves that there was no need to be careful anymore. This is a small thing, but it is an example of the mental steps one must take to be sensitive to certain aspects of the culture here, and how ingrained those steps can become in your mind.

Anyway, for three days after Ramadan, it is the tradition here in Jordan and across the Islamic world for Muslims to visit their friends and families to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This is called Eid al-Fitr--The Festival of Fast-Breaking. The visits are meant to be short--as there are a lot of visits to be made--and you are supposed wear some of your best clothes and perhaps even get a fresh haircut for the occasion. Of course food and drink is provided during these Eid visits, and in Jordan it is tradition for the hosts to serve small sips of unsweetened Arabic coffee--as opposed to the usually very sweet coffee--and a cookie type treat filled with dates or nuts, called ma'mool. Below is a picture of some ma'mool.