Ramadan Decorating!
It’s the most BLESSED time of year and of course mine and my kids FAVORITE time of year…RAMADAN!!!! Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic lunar calendar. It’s a holy month for Muslims where we restrain ourselves from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is a time where Muslims concentrate on prayer, giving to the needy, and thanking God for all we have been blessed with.
As a kid I remember my mom prepping, cooking, cleaning, ironing clothes and getting ready for the month of fasting. She would tell us stories about her childhood in Pakistan and all her family traditions. My dad would pull out all his new Attars (natural perfume oils) he had collected throughout the year and pick out what he would wear to taraweeh (nightly prayer) each night. My sisters and I would plan out who would sit in the passenger seat of the car each night with my dad, and would fight about who got to park and bring up the car in the Masjid lines. lol My mom would meal prep and we would have a list of food requests.
In between all the preps my most FAVORITE was decorating the house. It was like spring cleaning!!! We would clean and organize and then would get to pull out all the new table mats, nice cushions, lights, and all the new candle scents my mom had collected to burn during the blessed nights. It was so magical and you could FEEL the spirit of Ramadan in the air. As much as I love new candles, table mats and cushions, my boys not so much! I’m sure as they get older they may notice and appreciate those things, but as young toddlers they like the décor, books, crafts and gifts.
I want to share some great ways to get your kids excited for Ramadan and help you bring the spirit of Ramadan in your home. If there is one thing my kids love most its books! We have a pretty nice collection of Islamic/ Ramadan books, but if you don’t…have no fear! You can always ask your local library for books on Islam or Ramadan. Take advantage of the community resources readily available…you don’t always have to buy ;)
I love displaying our collected Ramadan and Eid books over a fire place or on a table. This year I decided to put them on our buffet table and decorate with lanterns. I wrapped a small box to give some height, and used sticker letters and wrote out the word Iqra which means read in Arabic.
Another great way to decorate is with a banner. It's just so festive and a great way for your kids to know the holidays are here. Stay tuned for a step by step guide on how to make your own Accordion Banner.
At the end of the 30 days of Ramadan its Eid, our religious holiday to celebrate the hard work and dedication of fasting and prayer. Little kids don’t always understand the concept of time and days so why not do a countdown?
This is something my kids LOVE that I do, an Advent Calendar. This helps them understand how many days have passed and how many days are left before Eid.
Crafts are also great to get the kids into the Ramadan spirit.
Books, banners, advent calendars, crafts, what more could be left? Goodie bags of course! Who doesn’t love little treat bags?
Kids love getting little treat bags and its a great way to keep them busy for a while. They are also a great way to ring off the festivties to come during the holidays.
I hope this helped you with some ideas on how you can bring the spirit of Ramadan in your home with young kids. These are versitile to use for any occasion and remember its not about how much your decorating its about what your doing to help your children understand the blessings of the holiday season.
May we live to see another Ramadan, may our fasts, prayers and dua’as be accepted and may we always stay steadfast on this beautiful deen. Ameen!
Please keep my family and I in your prayers during this blessed month and have a blessed Ramadan! <3
