A Quiet Ramadan

For up to 10 days, there’s a single line that I repeat to either my daughter or her father whenever we’re out : “Why is it so empty and quiet?”

This Ramadan is unusually quiet and less crowded than before. In a regular pattern of numerous past Ramadans, in the morning, the traffic would be getting crowded, like really crowded, around 7 to 9 am. But, the trip to school for the past 10 days has been the most enjoyable. I cursed less than before, apart from refraining due to fasting.

That’s weekdays. I was driving thrice last Saturday. In the morning, it was empty. Okay, it’s normal for Saturday morning roads in Ramadan to be empty. I went out the second time at 11 a.m. for swimming practice. It was still empty, slightly. It only took 10 minutes to go to the pool. What’s more unusual, it took around 10 minutes to go home from the pool, which normally takes at least 20-30 minutes.

Then, we went out again around 2 p.m. for a therapy session. I overslept and thought we would be late for 2:30 p.m. We left at 2.10 p.m. and arrived leisurely at 2.27 p.m.

The most weirdest thing of all, when we went home around 4 pm, the traffic was as leisure as the departure. Slightly more crowded, but that was not the typical Saturday traffic in Ramadan, at the beginning of month.

Saturday in Ramadan has always been the time when people go out to have an iftar gathering. Usually, we need to go out and book a table as early as 4 pm and the traffic has always been crazy.

Yet last Saturday, there was close to zero traffic. The traffic has never been this good, yet I felt so bad.

Another regular I don’t see much this Ramadan is a blewah and timun suri ( cantaloupe and a kind of cucumber fruit only available in Ramadan) seller. They are a significant component of the Ramadan vibe around the town. Usually, a few days before Ramadan starts, we can see both fruits everywhere.

This Ramadan, I hardly see any.

I went to a traditional market today, which was as quiet and empty as possible.

Ramadan is the most festive season of the year, but it feels like we have a silent Ramadan this year. Unlike in 2020, when it was tense due to COVID-19, this year it feels more unlively and, say, a bit depressing and gloomy.

The country’s current situation is undoubtedly not at its best.

On to the second leg of Ramadan. Bismillah.

10 Ramadan 1446 H.