Ramadan Bazaar at Regent Park is in celebration of the Muslim Holy Month.

By: Kedar Ahmed
Kedar is a Community Journalist RPTV Focus Media Arts Center.

Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims all over the world. Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. is considered holy. Muslims worldwide follow fasting (one of the five pillars of Islam) to commemorate the sacred month.

Ramadan rituals are observed for 29-30 days from the first sighting of the crescent moon to the other. Moon sighting is important to decide the beginning and the end of the month of Ramadan. The month serves to remind the faithful of their duty of care to each other. Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam.

On Monday March the 20th, Happy Mom Happy Children's Group as well as Regent Park community members celebrated the month of Ramadan by hosting the Ramadan Bazaar at the Daniel Spectrum 585 Dundas St. East. The goal of the event was to provide greater awareness about Ramadan in the Regent Park area, and to promote the work of many local vendors who provided food items, clothing, dishware and commodities related to Ramadan.

Eid marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long dawn-to-sunset period of fasting. It falls on the first day of Shawwal in the Islamic Calendar. This day does not always fall on the same Gregorian Calendar day, as the start of any lunar Hijri month varies based on when the new moon is sighted by local religious authorities. (The Gregorian Calendar is what most of the world uses, including us.)

Rabia, a Regent Park resident and co-founder of the event summed things up by saying, “It's very important to respect each other and to have that space and also to learn about each other. From our end as Muslims we love and appreciate that people learn about our religion and why we fast.”