Kanij and Faiaz Halim’s kitchen is always bustling, especially during the 30 days of Ramadan. Celebrating Ramadan in St. John’s differs from their native Bangladesh, but they have established new traditions with their children and friends, whom they consider part of their extended family.
During Ramadan, many Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, starting each day with a meal called suhoor before sunrise and breaking their fast with iftar after sunset. Faiaz described Ramadan as a time to foster community bonds, often through acts of charity and spending quality time together, while purifying the body and mind to draw closer to Allah.
Faiaz reminisced about the readily available street foods he enjoyed in his childhood, which contrasted with the challenge of cooking traditional dishes like haleem, a lentil-based stew, after moving to Newfoundland in 2023. Kanij, his wife, started a business crafting nostalgic treats like jalebi, a sticky fried pastry, which she was busy preparing one Monday evening.
The exchange of knowledge and recipes among fellow South Asian immigrants in the province has been invaluable, according to Faiaz, who acknowledged the initial challenges of adapting to a new culinary landscape.
As the clock struck 7 p.m., a vibrant spread of food prepared by the Halim family and their companions was laid out, signaling the time for iftar. A sense of warmth filled the room as dates were shared silently and children eagerly reached for skewers of fresh fruit.
Reflecting on her childhood memories of Ramadan, Kanij expressed the significance of the season in her life and the joy of passing down her cultural values and traditional cuisine to her children, despite the distance from their homeland.
Looking ahead to Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and is anticipated to occur on Friday pending the full moon sighting, Faiaz likened it to a reward for a month of devotion to Allah. Celebrating the festival, akin to breaking fast, is a labor of love enhanced by the bonds of friendship for this lively group residing thousands of kilometers away from their roots.
For Muntasim Munim, a friend of the Halims, the absence of family during Eid in their current setting makes gatherings like these all the more cherished, forming a surrogate family where friendship takes center stage.
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