A special month of worship, fasting and devotion

The holy month of Ramadan is a special month of worship and fasting. However, people focus more on preparing delicious food and stocking up on food stuff even before the holy month begins. Single people and bachelors do not pay much attention to cooking food. They usually are invited to eat outside with friends in restaurants or at gatherings. Many companies also distribute Iftar meal to employees who remain in office at the time of Iftar. In addition, the mosques usually provide meals for the fait hful. Many families are preparing for Ramadan by observing different customs, "My mother will prepare light items such as kibbeh and samboosa, which has been frozen for two days. The important food items consumed during the month are rice, vegetables, meat, chicken, jelly, custard, Vimto, qamardeen, and laban. My father and brothers also bought other items," a 22-year- old Homoud told the Kuwait Times. Some people have learnt from their past grocery shopping mistakes, "This year will be different. Every year, I would buy food items that are offered on promotion. I do not even use it and it will remain in the shelves until the next year. It has already expired and I have to throw it away. So this year, I decided to save money and buy stuff that will be needed every day. I see people queuing up to buy so much food, which I think is not reasonable. It is better to buy small quantities for a few days only. I only bought meat, chicken, fish, and prawns, which have been placed in the refrigerator," noted Manal, a 42-year- old mother. For those who do not live with families here, the holy month is a time to affirm their faith, "Ramadan is a different month, it's a month of devotion that requires more time to be spent saying prayers, reciting the Quran, and making frequent trips to the mosque. Also, one must pay special attention to those in need and give alms. There is nothing special during Ramadan except that meal times need to be adjusted," stated Abulatif, a 51-year- old bachelor.