TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Resident Saba Khan and other celebrants invite you and your family to the township’s first Ramadan crescent moon lighting ceremony, Sunday, March 19 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 350 Hudson Ave.
“The Township of Washington had a Christmas tree lighting and menorah lighting. I’m very proud to say that with the help of our honorable mayor Peter Calamari and council members we now have a crescent lighting ceremony to welcome Ramadan with our community,” Khan told Pascack Press on Feb. 28.
She said, “At 6:30 p.m. we will light a crescent display with honorable council members and Mayor Calamari; then a celebration at the senior center at town hall. We’ll have food and fun activities for kids.”
(Montvale has a crescent moon lighting ceremony set too: Saturday, March 18 at 6 p.m. at North Park, intersection of Grand and Kinderkamack.)
Ramadan is one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. Says Islamic Networks Group (ING), “In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an, and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude, and compassion for those less fortunate.”
Khan explained “Ramadan is a month of fasting, patience, prayer, reflection, charity, forgiveness, and community service and ends with celebrations (Eid Al Fitr).”
She said, “Muslims fast for 30 days, abstaining from all food and drink, from sunrise to sunset. The daily breaking of fast at sunset is called Iftar.”
There are many Iftar events throughout Ramadan. The date changes annually as it is based on the lunar calendar.
Khan, in sales for a major residential brokerage, said “My 10-year-old-son Zaki always asked me, Why don’t we have lights for Ramadan or Eid around our neighborhood just like other holidays? I didn’t have an answer for him.”
She said, “Every year during Ramadan at the time of Iftar, I send food to my neighbors and they love it. This year I took the initiative to connect with my neighbors, other township residents, and my son’s school parents for their support. I also connected with 22 Muslim families in town. They were all very supportive of the idea.”
She said, “I went to the Township Council meeting with a proposal. While my neighbors and all the supporters were sitting behind me, I requested for the approval of a crescent lighting ceremony to welcome Ramadan and a light display at the town hall. They approved it!”
Now, she says, “My son is very proud and excited to share this event with his school friends. We are fortunate to live in a diverse town like Township of Washington, where we have an opportunity to learn about each other through festivals and cultural exchanges.”
Khan said, “We are also grateful for the leadership that champions diversity and greater understanding across our communities. I want Zaki to see that this is how we celebrate inclusion, diversity, and equity.”
Council President Desserie Morgan told Pascack Press on Feb. 28, “It was a wonderful proposal. I’m excited to be a part of this and I love that we live in a town so diverse.”
KQED explains, “For thousands of years — before satellites and telescopes were created — Ramadan was determined by moon sightings by the naked eye. If the newborn crescent moon was sighted, then that evening during sunset marked the first night of Ramadan.”
For more information, call Saba Khan at (347) 756-0012.