Ramazan, Ramadan, fasting month

Ramazan or Ramadan starts on the 11^th of August this year and ends on the 9^th of September with Ramazan or Seker Bayrami. I thought it would be useful to write about some keywords to explain what happens at Ramazan.

Ramazan

Ramazan, the month that Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed on the 27^th of the Ramazan month, is an Islamic religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the month that Muslims fast which means they don’t drink or eat from dawn to sunset. Fasting mean to teach the person patience, sacrifice and humility.

Oruc

Oruc Fasting, a religious exercise by not eating or drinking anything for worshipping.
Oruc tutmak To fast.
Oruc acmak To break one´s fast (at the proper time, e.g. sunset for Muslims observing the Ramazan fast)
Oruc bozmak To break one´s fast (at an improper time, e.g. before sunset)
Oruc yemek Not to fast
Sahur The meal taken just before dawn during the Ramazan fast.
Iftar Evening meal during Ramazan when the Muslims fast. Iftar acmak means to stop fasting and eat evening meal.
Hurma Dates (fruit). Hurma is usually consumed at Ramazan in Turkey because it is regarded as a holly fruit.
Ramazan davulu Drummers used to play the drum to wake people up for sahur, breakfast eaten before the dawn. It was a very good way before but today it could be annoying and even scary by waking people up in the middle of their sleeps.
Ramazan pidesi A kind of pide usually eaten at Ramazan.
Teravih (namazi) The supererogatory prayer performed in the month of Ramazan.
Mahya Message spelled out by lights strung between minarets during Ramadan month.

Kadir Gecesi

Kadir Gecesi (gece=night) is the Night of Power, the twenty-seventh of Ramazan when the Koran was revealed. People get together in the mosques and pray.

Arife Gunu

Eve’s Day, the day before Bayram.

Ramazan / Seker Bayrami

After Ramazan month finishes, Muslims celebrate Ramazan Bayrami or Seker Bayrami. People visit the cemeteries, visit the elder people and get together. It is also called Seker Bayrami (sugar, sweet, candy) because people offer candies and sweet to the guests. A lot of candies and sweets!