Eid Your Fill

It started in the 7th Century with under one hundred early Muslims, and is now practised by nearly a quarter of the world's population.

The first ever RamadanThe ninth month of the Islamic year, during which Muslims are required to fast from dawn until dusk. is thought to have been observed in 624 AD in the city of MedinaA city in Saudi Arabia, where the prophet Muhammad began his work to set up Islam.. Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.¹

During Ramadan, which this year started on 22 March, Muslims partake in an early morning meal called suhoor (or sehri), and then do not eat or drink anything until the evening meal iftar.

Fasting is considered one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside faith, prayer, charity and making pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city.

And now the month is coming to an end with Eid al-Fitr, where Muslims will come together to celebrate the first day of the new month, Shawwal, with prayers, gift-giving, charity and festive feasts..

It will be filled with gratitude for food. The practice of fasting during Ramadan should remind those partaking to have compassion for the poor and hungry, and to be grateful for the sustenanceFood and drink that gives you strength. given to them by God.

Fasting is a feature of other major religions too, including Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, TaoismAn ancient Chinese philosophy that emphasises the importance of appreciating things as they are. It says people should act in accordance with the "Tao", or "Way", which is hard to describe but is a guiding force responsible for the order of the universe., Hinduism and JainismAn Indian religion which emphasises respect for all living creatures..

Feasting is also a key element of almost all religious traditions, and is ubiquitousEverywhere. in human history. The Ancient Romans were particularly famous for their lavish feasts, which brought together delicacies from all corners of the empire for a small few to gorge upon, including flamingo tongues and peacock brains.

But feasting is not merely about food. Feasts are rituals which bring communities closer together. They traditionally involve gift-giving, dancing, music-making and hours of conversation.

Humour is also a central theme: one mediaeval feasting tradition involved putting unexpected surprises in large pies. These surprises were often frogs or lizards, but in one supposed tale the Duke of Burgundy covered 24 live musicians in pastry, to the astonishment of his guests.

Traditionally, we turn to large quantities of food to bring us together and strengthen our shared belief system. But sumptuous feasts are hard to come by today, despite their crucial role in our history. Some think it is time to revive the tradition.

Yes: Feasts are an age-old human tradition which allow us to find joy in community and in celebrating our shared values. We could use more of them in modernity.

No: In this day and age, we need to curb our need for excess rather than encouraging it. There are far more of us than there were in Ancient Rome. Instead, we should find ways to take joy in the smaller things.

Or... Everything in life is about balance. Feasting is typically preceded by a period of fasting. If you do not fast, you should not habitually feast.