As we are now about mid-way through the holy month of Ramadan — and the Christian season of Lent — it is a good time to reflect on the value and importance of annual fasting. Since Ramadan and Lent this year began on the same date, we can also compare the two traditions, with some differences within each religion. Christians generally emphasise the spiritual aspects of fasting rather than the physical ones. Muslims emphasise both, refraining from food from sunrise to sunset while also focusing on spiritual reflection, strengthening faith, doing good deeds, and caring for fellow human beings, especially the poor and needy.

The Orthodox Christian Church, the most common branch in Eastern Europe, follows traditions similar in some ways to those observed by Muslims. Some Christians in the West observe certain aspects of fasting, such as refraining from rich food, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. During the 40-day Lent period among Christians who observe the fast, people usually do not fast on Sundays. In Ireland and many other countries with large Catholic communities, St Patrick’s Day is observed on 17 March. It is a day celebrating the patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. Cultural manifestations beyond religious services are also included, with parades, music concerts, and more — all in green.

Every evening at sunset, when the Muslim fast is broken with Iftar dinner and prayer, it becomes a beautiful celebration with family and friends, and sometimes invited guests. Ramadan becomes a festive month, both spiritually and socially. This year, since Muslims and Christians began their fasting traditions at the same time on 18 February, it is a good opportunity to ‘compare notes’ with a focus on inter-faith aspects.

Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit, Preses of the Bishops’ Conference of the Church of Norway, was asked if he envies Muslims for their more committed and visible ways of observing Ramadan. He was speaking on a TV programme together with a leader of a mosque in Oslo. However, Fykse Tveit did not admit that Islamic traditions surpass Christian ones. I would say he could have been more generous. It is a fact that Muslims often give greater attention to the time of fasting than many Christians do. In countries like Pakistan, where the Christian minority lives side by side with Muslims, many aspects of Islamic practice influence Christian fasting traditions. On the other hand, the quieter and more private spiritual reflection that characterises the main Christian tradition during Lent, along with Sunday services in church focusing on key aspects of fasting, should also be recognised and appreciated.

As we know well, Ramadan ends with Eid-ul-Fitr, which this year falls between 19 and 21 March, depending on the sighting of the moon. It is the major religious and social feast in the Islamic calendar. This year, the feast will include the two religious holidays plus the following weekend, making the Eid celebration even longer than usual. It will be a good time for people to have an extended holiday with family and friends, including travelling to one’s home village or town to visit relatives, offer gifts and good wishes, and dress in one’s best new shalwar kameez.

Christians celebrate Easter at the end of Lent, with Easter Sunday this year falling on 5 April, following several holidays in the preceding Holy Week from Palm Sunday on 29 March. Easter is a major religious event, but it is also a spring holiday, since it always falls in March or April. The exact date varies, as it is determined by the first full moon after the first Sunday following the spring equinox (around 21 March).

In the Northern Hemisphere, as spring approaches, many people combine church attendance and other religious activities with holiday activities, including gardening and preparations for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. The yellow daffodil flower, also called the Easter lily, is typical of the season. It is admired outdoors or placed in vases indoors, often accompanied by greenery from sprouting birch trees. In Norway, many people travel to the mountains for skiing or simply to enjoy the beauty of nature at the end of the snowy winter season, when the sun begins to regain its warming power. Getting suntanned is often seen as proof that one has taken part in the common, almost ‘compulsory’, Easter holiday tradition, especially among the young. Many people who live along the southern coast spend time preparing their sailing boats or small motor boats for the warm season, taking a few test trips during Easter, weather permitting.

The Muslim and Christian seasons of fasting are in principle similar in both their religious and social dimensions, though the actual practices and traditions vary within and between the religions. In our more secular age, especially in the West, people who are not active in their faith still maintain many of the traditions. I believe there is room for more contact and exchange between Islam and Christianity. As mentioned above, there would be many things for Christians to learn, but also for Muslims, by borrowing aspects of each other’s practices. Some Muslims might also appreciate the more toned-down and quieter ways in which many Christians observe the fasting season.

Both Muslims and Christians try to give attention to the spiritual and social aspects of Ramadan and Lent through prayer, reflection, and efforts to do good, while setting aside more quality time with family and friends. It is also a time to consider broader issues, including peace and the reduction of conflict. The Russian war in Ukraine continues, now into its fifth year since the full invasion in 2022 and twelve years since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Many soldiers on both sides die daily, and it is estimated that a large share of fatalities now results from drone attacks. Millions of Ukrainian civilians have been displaced within their country or forced to seek refuge abroad. The war has also caused immense destruction of infrastructure and farmland, which will take many years and enormous resources to rebuild. We all have a duty to reflect on such issues, even if we may be able to do little concretely to change them.

The situation in the Middle East has long been difficult, especially for the Palestinian people, but also for Israelis, Syrians, and others, including Iranians. Since last weekend, the United States and Israel have begun massive air attacks on Iran, followed by Iranian retaliation against Israel, American bases in the region, and allied countries. It is happening during Ramadan, a time when we should focus on reflection and prayer. We should consider how peace can be promoted in our time — both in everyday life and at broader levels — and how our children and grandchildren can be taught to make the world a better place for all.

Atle HetlandThe writer is a senior Norwegian social scientist with experience from university, diplomacy and development aid. He can be reached at atlehetland@yahoo.com

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