# Daylight Saving and Ramadan



## NZCowboy

Egypt's cabinet has decided that Daylight Saving Time (DST) will not be used in Egypt during Ramadan, but will be resumed after the holy month ends.

In a statement released yesterday, the cabinet clarified that clocks will move back by one hour at midnight on Tuesday 10 August, to be moved forward again after Ramadan, on Thursday 9 September. Clocks will roll back once more on Thursday 30 September to put the nation on winter time, as stipulated by law.

From
Clocks to go back during Ramadan--and then forward again | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt


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## MaidenScotland

Thanks for that.


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## Beatle

NZCowboy said:


> Egypt's cabinet has decided that Daylight Saving Time (DST) will not be used in Egypt during Ramadan, but will be resumed after the holy month ends.
> 
> In a statement released yesterday, the cabinet clarified that clocks will move back by one hour at midnight on Tuesday 10 August, to be moved forward again after Ramadan, on Thursday 9 September. Clocks will roll back once more on Thursday 30 September to put the nation on winter time, as stipulated by law.
> 
> From
> Clocks to go back during Ramadan--and then forward again | Al-Masry Al-Youm: Today's News from Egypt


If only they did that in the UK......


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle said:


> If only they did that in the UK......


I have a friend who is muslim and he lives on the Isle of Lewis... poor him.


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## DeadGuy

Well, it sounds too stupid to be true for my friends and I, including my best friend, and he's a Muslim, he thinks that it just ruined what the whole holy month is about, patience and being stronger and more close to God according to his words, and I agree with him, it's not supposed to be "easy" cause if it's easy then what's the difference between this month and the rest of the whole year?!

He is a bit happy about it though, cause August is HOT in here, and it's not "23° C hot" LOL!

In UK weather isn't as hot as in here, so the time thing shouldn't be a big deal, it's just food, just eat a bit more in sohoor, unless you're one of those Brits that think 23° C is "hot"


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## Beatle

DeadGuy said:


> In UK weather isn't as hot as in here, so the time thing shouldn't be a big deal, it's just food, just eat a bit more in sohoor, unless you're one of those Brits that think 23° C is "hot"


There are different challenges that arise during Ramadan according to where you live. In certain countries the heat is undoubtedly challenging as I have experienced when I have fasted in hot climates. In the UK and other Western countries the length of fast can be challenging during the summer as can the fact that Muslims are working in a system where the majority aren't fasting and where working hours aren't reduced during Ramadan. 

But as for how to get through the fast, I am sure we will work it out. Have you every tried fasting out of interest?


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## DeadGuy

Beatle said:


> There are different challenges that arise during Ramadan according to where you live. In certain countries the heat is undoubtedly challenging as I have experienced when I have fasted in hot climates. In the UK and other Western countries the length of fast can be challenging during the summer as can the fact that Muslims are working in a system where the majority aren't fasting and where working hours aren't reduced during Ramadan.
> 
> But as for how to get through the fast, I am sure we will work it out. Have you every tried fasting out of interest?


Of course I did, every time I get invited to an Iftar I do fast, just out of respect to my friends who did invite me, and there are some Coptic occasions that require fasting the whole day as well, but without the "sohoor" part (Which I think is cruel!!!) But since I'm not THAT religious I just pass the experience lol

I know it's not easy, but it's not supposed to be easy, people are supposed to realize how hard things are for others, and how hard things already are for some, I think it's great, but I believe that anyone should either do things right or just don't do it at all, so changing the time zone thing just to make things "easier" just sounds totally stupid......People won't even tell the difference between this month and the rest of the year if it was easy!

Good luck in UK though, it's not easy I know, but I'm sure it will be great as well :clap2:


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## Beatle

DeadGuy said:


> Of course I did, every time I get invited to an Iftar I do fast, just out of respect to my friends who did invite me, and there are some Coptic occasions that require fasting the whole day as well, but without the "sohoor" part (Which I think is cruel!!!) But since I'm not THAT religious I just pass the experience lol
> 
> I know it's not easy, but it's not supposed to be easy, people are supposed to realize how hard things are for others, and how hard things already are for some, I think it's great, but I believe that anyone should either do things right or just don't do it at all, so changing the time zone thing just to make things "easier" just sounds totally stupid......People won't even tell the difference between this month and the rest of the year if it was easy!
> 
> Good luck in UK though, it's not easy I know, but I'm sure it will be great as well :clap2:


The thing that amazed me the most when I fasted in Cairo was the amount that people could eat at iftaar. At the start of the fast I read a couple of Egyptians magazines which were published in English and they all had articles on how not to put on weight during Ramadan. I couldn't work out how people put on weight as all the Muslims I know in England tend to lose weight and I know people who have been medically advised due to their low body weight. Then I ate in a couple of posh places in Cairo for iftaar - I have never seen so much cake!


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## DeadGuy

Beatle said:


> The thing that amazed me the most when I fasted in Cairo was the amount that people could eat at iftaar. At the start of the fast I read a couple of Egyptians magazines which were published in English and they all had articles on how not to put on weight during Ramadan. I couldn't work out how people put on weight as all the Muslims I know in England tend to lose weight and I know people who have been medically advised due to their low body weight. Then I ate in a couple of posh places in Cairo for iftaar - I have never seen so much cake!


Well, supermarkets' owners do know this more than anyone else does, but people actually eat a lot more in Ramdan in here, probably double what they'd normally eat any time of the year, I believe it's a culture thing, and an economical thing, for people who get paid well in their jobs it's a way to "show up" by buying more food, and for people with low salaries it's a way to make it up for their families cause they don't usually eat well at all for the rest of the year thanks to their salaries!

What I love the most about Ramadan in here is when streets are FINALLY quiet during Iftar time, love that people do not lie (Well, depends lol) And I love those guys who make noise at the sohoor time, but not when they push it though LOL!

Hope everyone enjoys it though, it only happens once a year!


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## NZCowboy

Beatle,

Are you taking the micky asking a Copt if they fast....how insensitive of you.

Last year truely observant Copt would have fasted for 210 days out of 365.
Fasting and abstinence of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Copts don't make a big song and dance about fasting, its between them and their God.

_Principle of piety
It is considered a greater sin to advertise one's fasting than to not participate in the fast. Fasting is a purely personal communication between the Orthodox Christian and God, and in fact has no place whatsoever in the public life of the Coptic Orthodox Church. If one has responsibilities that cannot be fulfilled because of fasting, then it is perfectly permissible not to fast._


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## Beatle

NZCowboy said:


> Beatle,
> 
> Are you taking the micky asking a Copt if they fast....how insensitive of you.
> 
> Last year truely observant Copt would have fasted for 210 days out of 365.
> Fasting and abstinence of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> Copts don't make a big song and dance about fasting, its between them and their God.
> 
> _Principle of piety
> It is considered a greater sin to advertise one's fasting than to not participate in the fast. Fasting is a purely personal communication between the Orthodox Christian and God, and in fact has no place whatsoever in the public life of the Coptic Orthodox Church. If one has responsibilities that cannot be fulfilled because of fasting, then it is perfectly permissible not to fast._


No actually I meant had Deadguy ever joined his friend to try it as I find it interesting how the coptic Christians in Egypt seem to show a great deal of respect to Muslims during Ramadan by not eating in front of them etc. Anyway DG didn't seem offended by the question so obviously all is well. :clap2:


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## MaidenScotland

I too am truly astounded at the amount of food eaten during Ramadan it reminds me of Christmas dinner every day for a month and to change the clock to make it easier is just a mockery of the event. Coptics here fast almost constantly without any help from the clock the government or their employers in fact you will never know they are fasting, on breaking the fast they do not do so with a feast of sugar. There are fasting cakes available in Cairo for fasting copts as at the end of the day it is not an excuse for gluttony. My friend in Lewis will not be able to break his fast until nearly 10pmsih as the sun doesn't set until much later the further north you go.


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## Beatle

MaidenScotland said:


> I too am truly astounded at the amount of food eaten during Ramadan it reminds me of Christmas dinner every day for a month and to change the clock to make it easier is just a mockery of the event. Coptics here fast almost constantly without any help from the clock the government or their employers in fact you will never know they are fasting, on breaking the fast they do not do so with a feast of sugar. There are fasting cakes available in Cairo for fasting copts as at the end of the day it is not an excuse for gluttony. My friend in Lewis will not be able to break his fast until nearly 10pmsih as the sun doesn't set until much later the further north you go.


I went to a buffet iftar meal one year at one of the restaurants in Al Azhar Park and they put us on the balcony overlooking other diners. I can hardly take in any food at iftar and so I was amazed by the plates of cakes that everyone had taken for when they could eat. It's fascinating to observe it.

I will be in one of the counties bordering Scotland so fasting hours will be quite long up north but not quite as long as for your friend!


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## Sam

DeadGuy said:


> And I love those guys who make noise at the sohoor time, but not when they push it though LOL!


My daughters first Ramadan we went to Cairo for a week, she was about seven months old. And that flippin' person would go through the streets making a hell of a racket waking everybody up for sohoor. And EVERY flippin' night woke up my kid, which would then take me hours to settle her again. An already VERY tired Mummy was NOT loving that. I made my husband pay them eventually to shut up and never went to Cairo since for Ramadan. 

I do enjoy the iftar feasts also, especially in Sharm when we go out to the desert to have iftar with the Bedouin's, barbecued goat, mmmmmmmm. I just cannot eat like they do though.

I remember one year we were at an Iftar waiting to start and my friend who was with me said "When can we eat, I'm starving?" to which an Egyptian friend was shocked and asked "Did you fast?". She answered, "Yes, I've only had a yoghurt all day"... LOL.


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## MaidenScotland

I very rarely eat during the day on waking I have a cup of tea and that along with umpteen other cups often does me until evening. I am sure this is true of many many people so why the big fuss of fasting at Ramadan. I can understand the need for water but the Im starving bit really is an exaggeration and they all say it as if they haven't eaten for weeks.


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## Sam

MaidenScotland said:


> I very rarely eat during the day on waking I have a cup of tea and that along with umpteen other cups often does me until evening. I am sure this is true of many many people so why the big fuss of fasting at Ramadan. I can understand the need for water but the Im starving bit really is an exaggeration and they all say it as if they haven't eaten for weeks.


I know what you mean.
I personally have a banana or the like before leaving the house in the morning, then nothing 'til I get back home, usually 7-7:30pm. I'm never starving, it's just too hot to be. But I can get very thirsty, that that cuts the appetite. The mind boggles :confused2:


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## Beatle

I am going to describe it from my experience but everyone is different. I hit a point where my stomach hurts with hunger when I fast. Particularly in the summer months when the fast starts at between 3 and 4 in the morning and goes on past 9pm. It's the feeling of being lightheaded. Plus when I can eventually eat, I can only eat a small amount at first as I have gone past the point of hunger. About an hour later I have a medium sized meal. I lose a lot of weight during the first couple of weeks - I don't usually weigh myself but I recall one year I lost 11 pounds in the first 2 weeks. I then have to try and get some sleep as I need to get some rest before work. I get up to eat something for Suhoor although I know many that don't - but I can't get much food in at that time - maybe some yoghurt. It's also the repetition - it's ok for the first few days but I personally find the second week tough.

For me, it's not something I make a big issue about. Some of my close friends hadn't realised until recently that we can't drink water - I will answer questions about it, if asked. But I do understand why people would say they are very hungry at the end of the fast.


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## MaidenScotland

Beatle I can understand your point about some being hungry but really it is different here.
It is not so much they say they are starving but they make such a big big fuss about it when being hungry is the object.
The fasting hours are much much shorter plus their working day is also shorter.
The eat non stop from the minute Iftar begins.
The rich sleep all day.
When you get cross with someone because they are not doing their job they come out with the 
"I'm fasting" as if they are they only person in the world who is fasting.


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## DeadGuy

Well the problem with food in here is that people tend to eat like they never seen any food for ages, but I think it’s just cause people who get paid well in here in Egypt eat most of the time, people usually eat more than 3 meals per day in here, the majority of people in here NEVER worry about their weight (Except for single females, but that just happens till they get married, and semi males that wanna grow muscles everywhere :lol And for those who don't get paid well, it is like they never seen any food for ages 

As for the Copts showing respect to Muslims during Ramadan, it’s not like this all the time I can guarantee you that, bad seeds are everywhere, just like the “applepieg “phenomena, she’s considered a Muslim, but don’t think many Muslims would be proud of having her on their side!So it’s just about the person and how they think, it’s not the same for everyone!


And the Coptic fasting thing, personally I don’t feel THAT happy about what Copts are doing in here these days, everything’s available in a “vegetarian” duplicate these days! People don’t even recognize that they are fasting! Cakes are still there, meat, cheese, etc, you just name it and you’ll find it! So what’s the point?? The Coptic fasting is not supposed to be about what kinda food you eat!


Personally I don’t really fast at all for one simple reason, cause fasting in the Coptic rules is not only about the food, and cause I don’t believe in half-doing things, I either do it right or I don’t do it at all, and it’s kinda hard for someone living where I live not to swear many times during the day, not to mention that I won’t quit smoking for ANY reason! So I won’t just stop eating meat and pretend to be a religious guy that obeys Lord while I’m swearing and smoking 24/7! That would be fricking hypocrisy!! And I can’t see a point of that! Couple Muslim friends of mine skip many days during Ramadan as well for the same reason, but when they do it they don’t worry about others knowing what they did! Which I respect more than those who are not fasting but pretending to be fasting just for their “social” front! It’s sick!

Have a nice time folks!


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