Danya Obeid: An 8-year-old perspective on the festivities of Ramadan

Children as young as 8-year-old Danya Obeid are not obligated to fast in Islam, but some Muslim children start fasting at an early age, especially if they are part of a large family and see older brothers and sisters fasting. Usually, as in the Obeid family, parents help youngsters decide when to try fasting and they watch them closely to make sure they’re healthy. Often, parents suggest weekends as good days to try this discipline.
    Here’s is Danya’s story in her own words:

Fasting is kind of hard, but this year I’m going to try to fast at least a couple of days. The hardest part of Ramadan for me will be at school, when I’m trying to fast and other people are eating. In my school they let us go to the library and read books if we’re fasting. But I know others are going to eat, and I’m not. That’s hard to think about.
    My Mom will help me decide which days I should fast. I will be choosing, but actually she will help me decide good days to do this.
    I really want to do it because I see my parents and my whole family doing this and I want to be part of it. I love Ramadan. We get to keep switching houses and having dinner in different places. We go see people and people come to see us. We decorate the house. We hang up lights. And we hang up these moons — these crescents.
    And we try to help people, too. Like older people? People who might need help? We’ll go help them and sometimes we’ll even take them food to eat, too.
    When we get together at night to eat, you know what I like? We have these meatballs shaped kind of like footballs. I really like those. But my favorite? I think that’s rice and yogurt. I love that.
    Ramadan is such a special time for all of us. It’s just very very fun.

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