Day 26: A Mix of Old and New

Guest blogger: My dear friend Humera RahmanIt's the last day of Ramadan and in a few hours my family and I will congregate at a Lebanese restaurant to break our final fast of this glorious month.  It's been a month of ups and downs; a month of balancing worship and worldly duties. I've spent a lot of time trying to create a month that will be memorable for my children with emphasis on religion accented with moments of tradition. Some of these traditions are those passed down from generation to generation and others are those I've created.From my mother and grandmother I've learned the art of preparing traditional meals, caring about those in need, focusing on worship, and teaching my boys about the significance of this month. The traditions I've created are to help my boys feel involved and engaged during these 30 days - American traditions with an Islamic twist.  This Ramadan I created a ‘treats tree’ for the kids.  There was one bag hanging for each day of this month.  Each bag contained anything from candy, money, small toys, to activity books and homemade coupons for their favorite activities (ice skating, going out for ice cream, bowling night, etc).  I also wrote lessons from the Prophet (saw) for my son to read and discuss in the evening after Iftar. Other new traditions are a mix of Christmas tree decorations with handmade stars and moons cut out of glittery paper.This year I also added a gingerbread element to the lineup.  My son Aleem loves gingerbread so we created a gingerbread mosque tying his love for the cookie with an iconic aspect of Islam. We also make Eid cards for friends and family, donated gifts for less fortunate children, purchased food for a food pantry, and helped raise money for the people of Gaza.Each Ramadan will bring new traditions - some taken from my heritage and others taken from Michaels or HGTV.  It's a work in progress and I hope Allah (swt) gives me the honor of celebrating it to the fullest.Day 26, Tradition 26: Gingerbread Mosque, and more