Ramadan, the holiest month on the Islamic calendar, kicked off Thursday, and local Muslim parents are preparing their kids for a socially distanced celebration.
Laila Almounaier is the board president of CAIR Washington and the mother of two girls. Usually they have Iftar, the meal where they break the fast, together with grandmas and aunts and uncles and cousins. But not this year. "This time around," she said, "it's going to be the four of us here at home. And so that's quite a bit different."
With the focus off of social gathering, many parents are hoping to help their kids focus on another important aspect of Ramadan: gratitude and charity. That includes Almounaier.
"Globally, there are a lot of people that are in need and we can continue to figure out how we can extend health, how we can think about others who are less fortunate, who might not have the means to put dinner on the table," she said.
But that doesn't mean they'll have to miss out on family dinners entirely this Ramadan. After all, there are other ways to connect. "We might practice to see what a Zoom iftar could look like!" Almounaier said.
