Started on April 3, 2022, and ending on May 1, 2022, Ramadan 2022 is now taking place. For those who are unfamiliar, Ramadan is a Muslim holiday that lasts for a month. It is known as the ninth month of the Muslim calendar or known as the Holy month of fasting. Ramadan’s start and end dates will vary from year to year and country to country because the date is determined by the sighting of the moon.
For example, Ramadan 2022 in the Philippines, as decreed by the Bangsamoro, had begun on April 3, 2022, and should end on May 1, 2022. For the duration of the festival, Muslims abstain from engaging in any type of pleasure, including the enjoyment of food and drink, alcohol, music, and so on. The fast will be broken at nightfall and resumed in the morning. Self-control, discipline, and a better relationship with God are all considered as benefits of fasting. Please keep in mind that Ramadan is a Muslim festival celebrated by all Muslims. Yet, children, pregnant women, the elderly, breastfeeding moms, and anyone who are physically unable to fast are all excluded from participating in the Ramadan fast. Children, on the other hand, have the choice of whether or not to participate.
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There are Muslims all over the world, and it is commonly known that the Philippines, despite having Catholicism as the dominant faith, has a sizable Muslim population. Although Ramadan is a worldwide festival for Muslims, each country has its own customs and traditions for commemorating it. Muslims in the Philippines are no exception when it comes to having their own set of rituals and traditions. As Ramadan 2022 approaches, Filipinos who are not Muslims will undoubtedly be interested in learning how the festival is observed in the Philippines and learning more about Ramadan Filipino traditions.
Ramadan 2022: Fasting, Traditions, and Facts
To learn more about the customs and traditions that Filipino Muslims observe throughout their Ramadan holiday, here is a list of Ramadan Filipino Traditions to help you alleviate your curiosity for this year’s Ramadan 2022:
1 – Start of Ramadan Tradition
It is customary for the Filipinos to begin their Ramadan celebrations by having a bath and bringing fruits to a congregation of fasting Muslims gathered in the Mosque. These fruits are collected by a certain community.
2 – Iftar Programs
It is fairly usual in the Philippines to hold Iftar programs. Iftar is a meal served in the evening to Muslims who have broken their Ramadan fast at sundown. For many organizations and families, hosting iftars in their homes during Ramadan is an established custom in the Philippines. May it be in condominiums or big house and lots, a Muslim can hold iftar with no restrictions, and they can invite their neighbours and friends in addition to their immediate family members. Before breaking their fast, many families and neighbours exchange food and dishes to get ready for iftar, or the end of their fast.
3 – Ramadan Filipino Tradition Meals
Muslim families typically prepare meals that contain rice, chicken meat, or beef, as well as a locally styled fruit salad, a simple peanut butter sandwich, and dates that have been given to them as gifts by people from the masjid or their neighbours when it is time for iftar.
Popular traditional iftar meals in the Philippines, particularly in Maranao, include Piaparana Manok, which is similar to a chicken curry dish with cumin, Beef Rendang, which is a meal with beef sauteed in native scallions (it is an Indonesian dish with a Maranao twist), and Pisasati, which is similar to a tuna fish cake that uses smoked tuna but because smoked tuna is difficult to find in the Philippines.
4 – Special Programs
In the Philippines, it is considered a traditional Ramadan practice to have special events such as a Qur’an reading contest and even giveaways following their taraweeh (a Muslim special prayer), which is performed after their taraweeh. The reading of lengthy portions from the Qur’an, as well as the performance of numerous rakahs, are all part of these intricate prayers.
5 – Summer Classes and Seminars
If Ramadan falls during summer vacation, as it does in 2022, many Muslims will conduct summer lectures and seminars on a variety of Islam-related topics. It is up to the host or institution whether the classes will be held during the week or on weekends. These workshops are a means of spreading the message and educating people about Islam. If Ramadan does not fall during the summer and some Muslims are unable to return home to celebrate, Muslim organizations in schools organize seminars, meetings, and celebrations in their place.
6 – Opening Time of Muslim-Owned Restaurants
During Ramadan, Muslim-owned businesses are frequently closed during the day and reopen at about 6 p.m., according to the Islamic calendar. The majority of families will dine at these establishments when not eating at home. The pandemic’s initial wave hit the country in 2020 and lockdown limitations were put in place; as a result, numerous restaurants were unable to stay open late due to the restrictions and as a result, some eateries only offered takeout and delivery. There has been an improvement in the way restrictions are being enforced, and families can now return to their neighbourhood Muslim-owned Cafe for iftar in time for Ramadan 2022.
7 – Annual Ramadan Fair
Ramadan fairs are an annual Filipino festival that began in Mindanao, which is the region with the biggest concentration of Muslims in the country. A vast number of booths selling regional products, both food and non-food, are present during the Annual Ramadan Fair, as is the case with any other fair. During the holiday season, the fair also functions as a means of bringing visitors and tourists to the region. In 2020, because the fair could not be held during the lockdown season, it was held online, with variations of vendors offering their goods. The Annual Fair is currently open to Muslims, who can take advantage of the fact that Ramadan 2022, and there will be fewer restrictions and no lockdowns.
8 – Sharing Iftar and Celebrating with Families and Friends
Among Filipino Muslims, sharing iftar is a common occurrence during the day. Whenever you prepare a meal, it is traditional to share a portion of it with friends or neighbours, and a portion of what they are preparing is also shared with you. Ramadan Filipino traditions include sharing iftar with friends and family, as well as enjoying the festival with your family to give them an opportunity to discuss their experiences and hardships. Families who live a long distance away often travel to see their other family members in order to celebrate Ramadan as a group.
9 – Offering Aid
During Ramadan in the Philippines, mosques assist the less fortunate by distributing Zakat (a tax on goods and services). The Zakat is collected by the Imams of the Mosque. In a sense, Zakat is a mandatory donation that has the power to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Muslims consider one another to be brothers in Islam, which is why they strive to help the poor and disadvantaged by donating to charities.
10 – Showing of their Muslim Identity
Decorating and lighting the Mosque are two Ramadan customs in the Philippines. Children, on the other hand, walk out after iftar dressed in colourful costumes, carrying Ramadan lanterns, shouting songs, and forming teams. Each squad welcomes worshippers with shouts and music in the neighbouring Mosques. They then walk about around mosques, where they stay till suhoor, when they rouse people up and eat their suhoor. Suhoor is similar to iftar with the exception that suhoor is the meal taken early in the morning before beginning their fasting during Ramadan.
