Ramadan memories and traditions

Diversity

May 7, 2020While COVID-19 may prevent many physical gatherings, Muslim colleagues around McKinsey are connecting virtually by reflecting on their fondest Ramadan memories and traditions.

Layan, engagement manager – San Francisco

“In the old days, people did not have alarm clocks, so someone would take the responsibility of roaming the streets in their village, beating a drum, and chanting to wake people up for suhoor, the pre-dawn meal. This tradition continued into more modern times; as a kid growing up in Jordan, I was so excited to wake up to the beat of the drummer and see him walking down the street encouraging everyone to get up."

Mariam, professional development coordinator for East Africa - Nairobi

“When I was about eight years old, my aunt got this huge box of foreign chocolates and told my cousins and I that the first person to fast for the full month would get the chocolates on Eid. Everyone was sneaking around trying to eat behind closed doors. Obviously, my aunt knew, but her ideology was we'd learn to fast as much as we could while we were around her, and that was all right by her. By the age of thirteen, we were able to fast for the entire month."

Rudwan, associate - Chicago

“I use prayer beads during Ramadan to remind me of the blessings and community I have and everything I am thankful for. It began when a friend traveled to Morocco and brought back big, wooden prayer beads. Since then, I’ve purchased one set of beads a year. By the end of Ramadan, a friend or acquaintance has typically complimented me on the prayer beads, so as a gift, I surprise them by giving the beads to them."

Asma , engagement manager - Washington, D.C.

“Ramadan is a period of self-reflection. I try to think about what my personal goals are for the month and write them in a notebook. This year, I aim to do more spiritual reflection, think about areas in my life that bring me joy and where I can set new intentions, reconnect with old friends, and spend more time helping my parents.”

Zara, office IT solution advisor - Kuala Lumpur

“It’s a tradition that we break our fast with dates, and we eat them in odd numbers—one, three, five. Our prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to eat an odd number of dates, so we follow his guidance. Our goal this year is to avoid food wasting. Before we break for fast, we eat dates, local delicacies and watermelon."

Wasim, associate partner – New Jersey

“Normally, if I want to see a bunch of my friends, I have to schedule the get-together six weeks in advance because we’re all so busy. During Ramadan, we usually get together more often and make time to break our fast as a community. In light of COVID-19, I suspect we will use Zoom this Ramadan. The silver lining is we can be much more inclusive and invite friends who have moved away from New York to our virtual iftars."

Sarah with brother and sister celebrating Ramadan

Sarah, communications manager – New York

“One of the pillars of Islam is charitable giving, as long as you’re able. The Arabic term is zakat. My brother always says, “When you give, it should make you sweat a little.” I always tried to keep that in mind when giving my annual zakat. If we’re donating cash, we aim for a greater amount than our first instinct. If we’re donating time, we try to volunteer outside our comfort zone. We try to ensure a humbling experience that doesn’t always cater to our comforts or schedules."

Sohail , engagement manager – Washington, D.C.

“When I first successfully fasted, it was like having a surprise birthday party. All of a sudden, the door opened, and my uncles and cousins came in with presents. They brought delicious food and one of my uncles got me a nice traditional Pakistani outfit called a sherwani. I was so proud."

Marisa , senior graphic designer - Jakarta

“We prepare for Ramadan by cleaning up the house. I don’t decorate, but sometimes we’ll repaint the walls and exterior of the house in preparation for the many people visiting. It's just nice to have a new paint smell when you have guests."

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