Day 24: Prince Ali

Guest blogger: ZaydOne of our many traditions during Ramadan, when it’s not in the summer, is that my mom and I go into school and give a presentation on Ramadan and Eid to my class. We’ve been doing this tradition since nursery school all the way till now. Once a year instead of putting on a t-shirt and shorts, I put on a kurta pajama. When I get to school I feel pretty shy and nervous about what my classmates will think. But once, some of the kids started calling me ‘Prince Ali’, and I felt much better. People would ask many questions -- like what is Eid, what kind of presents do you get, does Santa give you the presents, and is Eid the day before Christmas (as in Christmas ‘eve’). I told them that when you get a little older you are required to fast every day for thirty days. You can only eat and drink before sunrise and after sunset. My friends couldn’t imagine it. We would also read them stories that had to do with Ramadan and Eid. My friends would still ask if Santa gave me my presents.There was never a lesson on Ramadan in class like there was for Christmas and Hanukkah. I really enjoyed being the teacher and being able to tell my friends about my religion. If you have ever been a teacher or a student, the best way to make a student listen is to give them food, preferably cookies. That is why every Ramadan my family makes our famous moon and star cookies, and we bring them to school. That is another tradition that my cousin and I wrote about earlier this month. These traditions have become the most long lasting and most memorable traditions for me during Ramadan.Day 24, Tradition 24: School Ramadan/Eid Presentations