Month long holiday

Ramadan begins in the next couple days, either the 22 or 23rd depending on the first siting of the new moon. I haven't quite understood the why behind this yet, but you can bet I'll be asking about it. During Ramadan everyone is on a shortened workday. Those actually observing the holiday fast from sun up to sun down. When the sun goes down its essentially a huge feast. They will eat with all of their family members at some point during the month. Think Thanksgiving every night for a month. So they feast in the evening and sometimes do not sleep (or get very little sleep) and then go to work from 730-130. Those not participating are not allowed to eat or drink in public. Not that this applies, but you can't smoke a cigarette in public during Ramadan. The result for eating, drinking, or smoking in public is jail time.

So the only restaurants open are the ones in the hotels, I'm uncertain how restaurants survive with only 11 months of income. I guess the whole idea is to not tempt them during the daylight hours. In my mind there is a bit of a disconnect between fasting and then binging once a day. I'm sure there is an explanation but I've yet to hear it. From what I've been told night time eating isn't all to healthy and binge eating definitely isn't healthy no matter what time it is.

The employees here were telling me they are really dragging by the end of the month, just because of lack of sleep and sustenance. So from what I can gather they look forward to the end of Ramadan almost as much as the beginning.