Students Celebrate End of Ramadan

The Harvard Islamic Society held a post-fast fête yesterday to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting for Muslims.

International desserts were served, including baklava from the Middle East and gulab jamun—fried milk balls downed in sweet syrup—from South Asia. Students from all faiths and cultures gathered to participate in the culmination of a Muslim religious requirement that kept many stomachs growling for an entire month.

During Ramadan, no food or water is allowed from dawn to dusk.

Yet Harvard Islamic Society (HIS) members said fasting is not an end in itself because Ramadan is a means to build community and to share “God-consciousness.”

“We’re really fortunate to have Ramadan during the school year, and having a daily iftar [break-fast dinner] with 100 people forces a sense of shared responsibility,” said HIS President Ali A. Zaidi ’08, noting that Ramadan will soon occur during the summer because it falls 11 days earlier every year.

“It’s not easy to fast in a foreign country...Fasting is very joyful in a Muslim country,” said Zeyneb H.E. Sager, a first-year graduate student and HIS member originally from Turkey.

But even here at Harvard, “HIS makes us feel like we are in Ramadan and not just hungry,” she said.

HIS Secretary Zeba A. Syed ’09 said fasting was sometimes difficult when everyone was eating in the dining hall, but sharing the experience with a community of students was helpful.

She said she enjoyed sharing suhoors—light meals before dawn—with others.

“We went to IHOP, JCRs, made pancakes and eggs—it was really fun, and then we would pray the dawn prayer together,” she said.

Members reiterated that during Ramadan, HIS tried to include the greater Harvard community in its activities, such as welcoming non-Muslims to the daily iftars.

Even though fasting was tough, breaking the fast was harder, Zaidi said.

“For me, Eid is a bittersweet time. God-consciousness is punctuated when you’re hungry, and when you have to break that fast, it’s hard to preserve that feeling of community.”

—Staff writer Yifei Chen can be reached at chen13@fas.harvard.edu.