Ramadan Crafting

I can't tell you how excited my children get when it's Ramadan. It's humbling to watch. They count down the days TO Ramadan, then count down the days IN Ramadan. Because at the end of Ramadan? Eid. Of course. That day of celebration covered in glitter and tinsel with copious amounts of chocolate and cake and presents.

They try to fast from about 3pm onwards. No one is making the midget do it, he just wants to, although we do request he drink a glass of water or two in the warm days. The eldest is getting to the age when it will be expected of him, but with such long days which even an adult finds hard I can't expect him to do a full day, but he happily, and willingly, does an afternoon.

To jolly things along, and to keep the excitement up, we have been crafting some homemade decorations, Ramadan style. And as with everything we do, the boys have been firmly at the centre of this making, with cutting, gluing, stamping and sticking.

The first make :: a simple garland banner made out of felt which the boys did entirely themselves. The second - an iftar calendar - much like an advent calendar with two notable differences :: there are thirty days instead of twenty four/five, and instead of chocolate the pockets are stuffed with dates, which is the traditional way of breaking the fast.

I will tell you right now that the idea for this calendar is entirely Manda's, over at Treefall Design. I have been wanting to make one of these since I saw hers. But it took til this year for the mojo to have worked it's magic in this direction.

I love this calendar - a result of boy and mama crafting - the babes stamped the words, and wrote the numbers and I, well, I did everything else. But that time at iftar when they gather the dates and button back the pocket to show another day nearer to Eid?

Immeasurable.




What things are you doing to get the kids into Ramadan this year?



*** *** ***