Ramadan Worldwide: Sudan
As an international NGO with field offices in over 30 countries, we thought it was only right to give our donors and supporters a glimpse into how Ramadan is observed in the countries we work in.
So this Ramadan we will be taking you across the world to find out more about the foods and traditions different people enjoy in the holy month, the special work that our field offices carry out throughout Ramadan and Eid and the way in which your Ramadan donations touch the lives of our beneficiaries across the globe.
We want to hear from you too! Share your Ramadan stories and pictures with the Muslim hands community and contribute to #RisforRamadan
We thought we would start with a snippet from our Sudan Country Manager Ismail Abdalla on how the people of Sudan spend Ramadan:
‘In the holy month of Ramadan, the Sudanese people have very special and unique customs and traditions.
It starts with the Musahirati. They are a group of people (adults and children) carrying drums and other instruments and using them while passing in the streets to wake people for sahoor. They can be found in every area and although they stop here and there, they never stop playing their instruments until the time comes. During the sahoor, the people cook food, eat dates and make tea with milk. Some drink coffee as well.
For the iftar meal, most Sudanese people spend it all together in front of their houses. People usually make their way to the houses of the elders. In the village they have the Daraa. This is the place where the men and boys take their meal. It is normally in the centre of the village. In some villages and small communities people take their iftar in the nearest Masjid. Very few people eat their iftar inside their houses in many parts of Sudan.
One very important iftar tradition in Sudan is the capturing of the passers-by. People invite whoever passes by during the time of iftar to share their meal with them.
On the highways, in some parts of Sudan, people stand in the way and stop all the cars which are passing at iftar time, insisting that they come and share some food with them. Sometimes they even block the roads!
In terms of Ramadan foods, samp or porridge made from flour (millet and sorghum grain) is the main dish for all Sudanese people at iftar time, especially in rural areas. Beans with bread is also a popular dish in towns and cities. At iftar the Sudanese drink juices containing lots of natural plant-based sugars’.
