Ramadan Kareem

It's Ramadan again. It seems like Ramadan came too fast this year...Maybe because for the past few years, Ramadan fell in the months when the weather had already gotten milder...Right now, with 37 degree temperatures, it still feels too hot to be Ramadan...

I love how the whole rhythm of living changes during Ramadan. In a city where the word "hectic" is an understatement, this month really comes as a breath of fresh air for everyone, whether Muslim or not. Work slows down (I am still keeping my fingers crossed for that one), people spend quality time with family and friends, there's less traffic during the regular rush hour (except if you happen to be on the road anytime between 3 and 5PM, which I was today....AVOID AT ALL COST!), and everyone just seems to be more laid back.

I do have one bone to pick however. What's with every Tom, Dick and Harry using the Holy Month as an excuse to advertise about anything from food to detergent to cars to computers? And why is it that every single ad has to feature a moon crescent, whether relevant or not?

As I was flipping through the newspapers yesterday, I was shocked at the number of Ramadan ads I saw. When did Ramadan become so commercial? It wasn't like that a few years ago...

A post on Campaign's blog summarizes the situation really well: "...once again, we are stuck with the usual cheesy ‘Ramadan Kareem’ messages, alongside images of unfeasibly wholesome-looking families enjoying iftar."

C'mon people! A bit of creativity...PLEASE!