Shelters can facilitate this experience for the women and children by offering to provide the things which would be significant to individual women depending on their traditions and customs. Shelter staff can also benefit from voluntary participation in traditions which are reminders of light and hope in the midst of the often grim reality of domestic violence. After all, shelters are, for many women, a beacon of light in the middle of a long, dark night. I would urge shelter programs to lift up each of the winter holidays in the shelter and to make available the materials with which to celebrate them. Additional information about each holiday can be found on the web.
Many traditions follow lunar or other calendars, so it is important to check dates each year.
R amadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation and a time to strengthen family and community ties. This day is known as Eid ul-Fitr or the Feast of Fast Breaking.