We honor and wish blessings upon those who are observing the holy celebration of Ramadan, a month-long practice of fasting from sunrise to sunset beginning April 13 and ending May 13 this year, and invite our Muslim friends to share a video or image telling us why this holy celebration is special to them.

Many of our friends who have been displaced from their homelands are of the Muslim faith. We honor and wish blessings upon those who are observing the holy celebration of Ramadan, a month-long practice of fasting from sunrise to sunset beginning April 13 and ending May 13 this year. During this holy time, Muslims draw closer to God through prayer, reading the Quran, giving money to those in need, and gathering with family and others of their faith each night for iftar, the nightly meal to break their fast.

An appropriate way of sharing a greeting with your Muslim friends during the holy month is “Ramadan Mubarak”, which translates from the Arabic word meaning “blessed” – the phrase, therefore, means “Blessed Ramadan”, often used in the same way as wishing somebody a “Happy Ramadan”. Salam (meaning “peace” in Arabic and Farsi) or Mubarak are wonderful messages of support and friendship.

The last day of the fast, May 13, known as Eid-al-Fitr is regarded as a time to celebrate, with Muslims gathering their friends and family to show gratitude toward God following the previous month of reflection. The holiday serves as a great reminder for Muslims to be grateful for what they have, and to share with those who may be less fortunate.