This weekend marks the last weekend of Ramadan before Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the evening of March 30. Throughout March, the Ramadan Tent Project has been hosting Open Iftar events around the UK to bring the special meals to a greater audience and foster community. And they’re going big for their final event, with an enormous Open Iftar event in Trafalgar Square on March 29.
The event will kick off at 4:30pm. When the sun sets, attendees will join together to break the day’s fast with a wonderful community experience. The event will include “engaging speakers, bridge-building, food, community cohesion, spiritual reflection, prayers, and great conversations.”
For the past month, observers of Ramadan have been fasting from daybreak to nightfall. Each day, early in the morning, they have their ‘Suhoor’ meal to prepare for a day of fasting. Then, in the evening, they ‘break their fast’ with an ‘Iftar’ meal. This meal is also often a celebratory or social meal, with family and friends coming together for Iftar. And with its Open Iftar events, the Ramadan Tent Project brings the tradition and celebration to a wider audience – and everyone is invited.
You do not need to be observing Ramadan to join these events, and you don’t even need to have been fasting. The events are more about a community coming together to celebrate and “foster community, inclusivity and cultural exchange during Ramadan”. Visitors from all faiths (or no faith at all) are welcome to join in at these events. This will also be the case at the Open Iftar in Trafalgar Square.
Open Iftars
Throughout March, the Ramadan Tent Project has been hosting all manner of special Open Iftar events throughout the UK. These have been hosted at some of the most stunning venues in the country. Events have taken place at the likes of the Guildhall Great Hall, Shakespeare’s Globe, the V&A South Kensington museum, Shepherds Bush Market, and beyond.
This weekend’s events – there is also an Open Iftar on March 28 at the MyLahore Glass Marquee in Blackburn – precede Eid celebrations that commence on the evening of March 30. Eid al-Fitr will celebrate the end of Ramadan’s month of fasting with joyful gatherings of family and friends.
Find out more about the Ramadan Tent Project here. Grab your ticket here for the Open Iftar in Trafalgar Square.
