Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Relaxing
A dish of rosewater, the petals harvested from Arabian mountains, marks the traditional
end of a meal; diners rinse their hands in the scented water. Sleep is generally enjoyed by
all after the midday meal.
Ramadan
The holy month is a time of great conviviality and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, given
that the month is about fasting and abstinence, many Arab people put on weight at this
time. The reason for this is the long Ramadan nights which are generally marked by bon-
homie and socialising and the sharing of seasonal delicacies and sweetmeats. The fast
(between dawn and dusk) is broken each day with a communal breakfast comprising
something light (like dates and
laban
- an unsweetened yoghurt drink) before prayers.
Then comes
iftar
at which enough food is usually consumed to compensate for the previ-
ous hours of abstinence with socialising that continues well into the early hours. The ven-
ue for this communal meal is often the wali's office (equivalent to a town hall) or a spe-
cially erected Ramadan tent. People then rise again before dawn to prepare a meal to sup-
port them throughout the day.
