RAMADAN (SWEET) FESTIVAL Ramadan (Sweet festival) is celebrated eleven days earlier each year than the year before. The main reason why religious festivals are not celebrated on the same days every year is because they are calculated according to the lunar calendar.

Ramadan festival which is celebrated after 30 fasting days. During the fasting time (Ramadan), Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, or smoke between sunrise and sunset. Children are not expected to adhere to such a strict fast, but will often follow a less rigorous diet.

The main characteristics of Ramadan is that people, neighbours, relatives and friends visit and go to see each other. Elderly sick people are visited by their young relatives. Young people kiss their parents’ hands and receive best wishes and blessings from them. It is a tradition to give money or little gifts to those children who kiss one’s hands. Candies are served to visitors during Ramadan. Children receive candies and money from the adults.

The Ramadan festival continues three days. All people prepare for the festival. They make a big cleaning in their homes and yards before the festival date, and they wear the cleanest or the newest clothes. It is named as a ‘Sweet Festival’ because during this festival, children go from door to door asking for sweet and when people visit each other, they are served sweets.