[BC] Merry Christmas!!!!

[Bob Foxworth]

> Now, Americans will celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. They also
> celebrate the eight days of Jewish Hanukkah and the seven days of
> African-American Kwanzaa. And every so often they celebrate the days
of
> Ramadan in December.


Islam uses a lunar calendar in which each month is either
29 or 30 days, this gives a year of typically 354 days.
Ramadan is the ninth month of this calendar.  The
observance of Ramadan occurred a few weeks ago, and
is advanced every year to be about 11 days earlier than
the previous year. It will be more than a couple of decades
before these observances again coincide (i.e. December).

The months change upon the sighting of the new
crescent moon in the evening sky. Thus there might
be a variation of a day in different locales.

Since there is the obligation of fasting during daylight,
it is not as difficult now as it is when the observance
occurs in summertime with long hot days. The celebration
occurs at night when elaborate meals are served.

Radio stations in Islamic countries often operate
all night during that month, something normally
unknown or very scarce the rest of the time. This
presents some unusual targets for MW DXers,
such as the superpower Saudi on 1521 kHz
or Mauretania on 783, easily heard in eastern NA.

The feast, :iid al-fiTr (eid al-fitr) (1st of shawwal, the
10th month) is an important time. It has been the
subject of requests in various school districts in US for
students to have religious holiday for the feast, as have
Christian and Jewish students for their observed days.

As for me, Merry Christmas

- Bob                                     0035 est