Ramadan is the ninth month in the Muslim calendar
and is considered especially holy for several reasons. Koran, the holy book, was first revealed to prophet Muhammed during the last ten days of this month.

According to the Koran, the gates of heaven are open, the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained up in hell during Ramadan. Since the devils are locked away, it’s easier to do good in this month, thus, dedicated Muslims are expected to donate to a charity or offer their time to help the poor, for example. Every year, the UK holds campaigns to promote safe ways of donating to charities in order to avoid scams and fake charities during Ramadan.

Most people know Ramadan best for the tradition of fasting. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars, or fundamental duties, of Islam. It is common to fast during the daylight hours, although there is sometimes confusion around the beginning and the end of each daily fast. For this year’s Ramadan, you can find an accurate time table for each UK city, here.

Invite a friend for coffee today and tell her how much you appreciate the time you spend together.

It’s the International Day of Friendship, a UN
observance day that promotes the role friendship plays in promoting peace.

Friendship Day has been celebrated in many South American countries since the 50s, but it was proclaimed an international observance day in 2011 by the UN, with the idea that friendships help bridge communities and cross cultures. The UN resolution particularly emphasizes friendships between young people, our future leaders, and community activities that include different cultures.

A popular way to celebrate friendship is wearing friendship bracelets with your friend. In 1998, Nane Annan, the wife of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, named Winnie the Pooh the world’s Ambassador of Friendship. 

Over the next few weeks you will find that some of your colleagues
aren’t taking part in the usual water-cooler gossip sessions or have taken to declining offers of coffee. That’s because it’s Ramadan. Muslims are called by their religion to celebrate the month of Ramadan by coming together in worship, fasting each day for thirty days from dawn until sunset. While this may seem like a tremendous feat, consider this: Fasting while working is an even greater endeavour! So, how can we help our colleagues? Is there an etiquette to follow?

In an increasingly multi-cultural world, when it seems as though we are

undergoing a clash of cultures, it is important that we try to understand the belief systems and values of others, for understanding engenders tolerance and peace. Whether you live or work with Muslims and want to relate to them better, or you simply want to have a better insight into the world’s second largest religion, this comprehensive article will help you understand what Ramadan is all about.

Ramadan is the holy Islamic month of fasting. During the month,
Muslims will fast during the daylight, in all conditions and break their fast at nightfall with family and friends. Many of us wonder though, what can it be like to fast for an entire month?

Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims across the world fast,
begins today – 1^st August 2011. Besides fasting, it is a time for spiritual fulfilment, emotional rebalancing, mental reflection and physical purification. Traditionally, Muslims consider Ramadan the ultimate month of charity, prayer, Qur’an, family and community.  It lasts for 29 to 30 days depending on the sighting of the new moon (hilal), so is due to end in Eid ul Fitr on 30^th August.

Today is World Poetry Day!

First officially celebrated in the year 2000, World Poetry Day celebrates diversity of language, efforts of small publishers, and the return to oral traditions of poetry recitals. Poetry pays tribute to language by constantly questioning and re-questioning the meanings of words and our perceptions. Using the words of the Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, poetry “convey(s) a timeless message… and always reveals the original brilliance of culture.”

Surprisingly, March 21st is also the anniversary of Twitter! This Wednesday, thus, is a day that celebrates both the traditional, orally recited, connotative word, as well as the instant, pixel-built, abbreviated word…

We now live in the year 1391… according to the Islamic Hijri calendar!

Today is the Iranian New Year. In Farsi (the language spoken in Iran), this day is called Nowruz, which literally translated means ‘new day’ or ‘new light.’ Nowruz marks the first day of spring, thus begins the new year in the Hijri calendar.

Once again, in March, countries around the world are celebrating their independence.

Happy Independence Day to:

Bosnia and Herzegovina – March 1st
Ghana – March 6th
Mauritarius – March 12th
Tunisia – March 20th
Namibia – March 21st
Greece – March 25th
Bangladesh – March 26th

Fairtrade Fortnight begins today!

There are approximately 1.5 million farmers and workers, working across 63 countries producing Fairtrade products. This year, Fairtrade Fortnight, is asking everyone to take a step for Fairtrade. The target is to gain 1.5 million steps, one for each Fairtrade worker and farmer. These steps could simply include buying a new Fairtrade product, hosting a Fairtrade chocolate tasting session with friends, or recommending a Fairtrade product to a friend or a colleague. Basically, taking steps for Fairtrade Fortnight are about making new consumer choices.