RAMADAN

Ramadan is the name of the name of the ninth month of the Muslim calender a lunar calendar whose months change in thirty three year cycles so in one year the holiday might fall in one season, the next year another. It is said that on the twenty seventh day of Ramadan, Allah sent the Koran to Mohammed from heaven, and at the same time the tree of paradise trembled. To mark these momentous events, Muslims fast for forty days. By night they may eat; in fact, they feast. But from down to dusk or in Mohammed's words, "while it is possible to distinguish the white thread from the black" they abstain from all food and drink, as well as snuff and tobacco.
The days are hard, espesially in those years when Ramadan falls during a demanding harvest season. The boom of a gun or cannon signals the dusk and the start of evening prayers, after which the famish celebrants break the fast with a quik handful of dates or nuts, or a glass of orange juice.
The evening meal varies from place to place: in Morocco, the favorite Ramadan dish is harira, a hearty vegetable soup made with lamb, noodles, and much red pepper.