The Ramadan Month and Its Delights

Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The lunar calendar is being used by Islam where the sighting of the new moon marks the beginning of each month. Due to the lunar calendar being eleven days shorter than the solar calendar, Islamic holidays "change"  each year. This year, 2012, Ramadan began last month at the sundown on July 19th.

Ramadan is the month where Muslims around the world pray, fast and do charity. Fasting in the Ramadan month means that Muslims do not consume or drink anything including water while the sun is still up. Besides fasting, Muslims are also encouraged to give alms and donations to the poor.

It is the usual practice for Muslim families to get up early for Sahur, a meal taken before the sun rises. After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as Buka Puasa or breaking of fast. Buka Puasa usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost.

Fasting is one of the five duties of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in the puasa starting from the age of twelve.

Here in Malaysia, restaurants owned by Muslims are closed until at about 3pm, the time when Ramadan bazaar begins. Muslim civil government workers are also allowed to leave their office early, this privilege given only to the female workers, so that they can prepare the 'breaking fast' meals.

The Pasar Ramadan or Ramadan Bazaar are not the same as the night and Sunday markets as the Ramadan Bazaars sell mostly food and drinks for the breaking of fast.

Ramadan ends on the first of Shawal which is less than two weeks from the date of this posting. When the new moon is sighted, Muslims all over the world celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. In Sabah and Malaysia, it is known as Hari Raya Puasa.

The food sellers, who are given short-term license at allotted spaces by the local authority, usually conduct their businesses at wooden stalls or just using a foldable table and under canopies or huge umbrellas.

Normally, Ramadan stalls are open for business as early as 3.00pm and by late evening the bazaar would be packed with people of all races, Muslims and non-Muslims, all busy looking and buying their favourite foods. It is a once-a-year delicacies and favourite food event not to be missed.

Ramadan Bazaar at Lembah Impian, Penampang

Ramadan Bazaar at open-space near Servay Putatan

Ramadan Bazaar at open-space behind Standard Supermarket, Putatan

Ramadan Bazaar at Sembulan

For the food sellers, some of them being part-timers, it is a time when they can generate extra income for their families which they can use to buy necessities and luxuries to celebrate the Hari Raya Puasa.

From afar you can already smell the inviting aroma of the grilled fish or ikan bakar and the roast chicken or ayam panggang. Some of the dishes, local cakes, cookies and snacks are those that are not easily found in one place during normal days. This is also one of the reasons why Ramadan Bazaar is very popular.

From dates or kurma, you can also find your favorite food, like nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, nasi beriyani or traditional cakes, like kosui, popiah, pulut udang, wajik, kuih lapis, lepat pisang and popular drinks, like cendol, abc, coconut, sugar-cane and cincau.

You can find dishes of ayam and ikan percik, the evergreen Malay dishes like gulai masak pedas, rendang, ikan kari, ikan patin and many other favorite dishes.

There will also be the always-popular light food and snacks like roti jawa, murtabak, noodles dishes like mee kari, mee bandung, mee goreng, rojak and laksa.

For the fast-breakers, food will certainly look extra-delicious after a full day of fasting, and in fact they indeed are!!! And for the non-fast-breakers, it's a time for food celebration!!!

When the Ramadan is nearing its end, you will see more food and other essentials for Hari Raya Puasa being sold, like the ketupat, lemang and rendang.

You can find Ramadan Bazaars wherever there are big population or residents in an area, and they are usually located in open-area spaces (or parking lots) in the middle of towns, residential estates and villages.

Ramadan month is a time of unique events and attractions in Sabah and the whole of Malaysia. Tourists or travelers who visit Kota kinabalu or other parts of Sabah during the Ramadan month will definitely cannot afford to avoid it as it is one of the main highlights in our annual calendar event.


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