The holy month's beginning is based on sighting of the moon which is usually confirmed by religious authorities. However in multicultural Ukraine, some Muslim communities go ahead with the date announced by their countries of origin and others follow the date of their country of residence.
The holy days of Ramadan begin and end with the prayers. The evening prayer is followed by the fastbreaking iftar. In Ukraine Iftar menu is as multicultural as Ukrainian Muslims are.
Fasting is intended to remind Muslims of self-discipline and self-restraint. During Ramadan, Muslims avoid from eating, drinking and smoking during the daylight. They have food twice a day, one before sun rises and the other after the sun set.
Fasting in Ukraine has its own features, says this mufti. For instance the daylight length in the country may climb to 18 hours. Ukrainian Muslims also point to the high humidity of the climate which makes people feel the heat.
However most Muslims in Ukraine don't see any problem in this.
This year Ukrainian Muslim communities invited muftis from Saudi Arabia and Egypt to perform readings during Ramadan. The holy month will be also marked by charities and sharing food with the needy.
