Ramadan 2024 will be upon us before we know it. Muslims around the world eagerly anticipate the arrival of this sacred month, marked by fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. If you’re wondering about the timing of Ramadan in 2024, let’s delve into the specifics and the significance of this holiest month in Islam:

When is Ramadan 2024?

In 2024, Ramadan is expected to begin at sunset on Sunday, March 10. Ramadan 2024 will conclude with the Eid al-Fitr holiday, which begins at sunset on Tuesday, April 9. Ramadan’s start and end dates can vary slightly depending on location, based on the sightings of the moon and local customs.

Why is it so difficult to know when Ramadan starts? Because the start and end dates of Ramadan shift each year. Each occurrence of Ramadan is determined by the Islamic calendar, which is based on the lunar cycle, unlike the Gregorian calendar used in the United States. Because the lunar cycle is a bit shorter (about 29.5 days) compared to the typical 30- or 31-day Gregorian month, Ramadan’s start date moves forward in the secular calendar each year by roughly 11 days. For example, in 2025, Ramadan is expected to start on February 28.

Ramadan: A Time of Discipline and Growth

Ramadan holds immense spiritual significance for Muslims globally. During this month, Muslims commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad by fasting from dawn until sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and serves as a means of self-discipline, empathy for the less fortunate, and spiritual growth.

The days of Ramadan are characterized by increased worship, including the performance of special nightly prayers known as Taraweeh, recitation of the Quran, acts of charity (Zakat), and heightened devotion to prayer and reflection. The pre-dawn meal, Suhoor, and the evening meal to break the fast, Iftar, become special communal moments for families and communities.

Muslims worldwide celebrate Ramadan with diverse traditions and cultural practices. Each region infuses its unique customs into the observance of this holy month. Ramadan’s spirit fosters unity, empathy, and generosity among believers, transcending geographical boundaries.

Make your Ramadan count by donating to Embrace Relief’s International Hunger Relief!

Here at Embrace Relief, we have our own Ramadan tradition, as this time of year is home to one of our annual International Hunger Relief campaigns.

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you during this time of charity and giving Embrace Relief has been able to deliver nutritious food packages and meals to nearly 100,000 people in over 15 countries over our last three International Hunger Relief: Ramadan campaigns. We aim to reach even more families in need during Ramadan 2024, but we can’t do it alone!

The human body is resilient, but when it comes to a lack of food, even it has its limits.

We of course need a steady supply of calories from the food we eat in order to function. And our bodies are self-regulating, if we listen to them. When we go long stretches of time without eating, our stomach alerts us with a grumble, and our brain signals that we are hungry.

But what happens when we ignore those signals? And how long can we go without food before causing serious damage?

You can suffer serious health issues if you go too long without eating (or if you consume a less-than-adequate amount of food over a long-enough period of time), up to and including death. The time frame for these health issues varies based on your age, sex, body mass, water intake, and your environment. It’s believed that the average healthy person can survive approximately three weeks without eating, with more or less time depending on the above factors.

What happens when I don’t eat for a long time?

When you don’t eat for long periods of time, your body is not getting the energy it needs to keep your organs functioning properly. Normally, your body converts the food you eat into glucose, which provides energy. Once you’ve gone without eating long enough, your body begins looking for other sources it can burn:

• After eight hours or so without eating, your body will begin to break down the glucose stored in your liver and muscles (glycogen) to fuel organ function.
• After your body has used up all of its glycogen – usually 24 hours after the process begins – it will begin to use the fat stored in your body for energy. This is when health issues can begin to get really serious, including significant and dangerous weight loss, decreased brain function, and dizziness and fatigue.
• It may take days or weeks to burn through all of the fat stored in your body, depending on your body’s composition. But once your body has used up all of the fat, its only remaining source of fuel is muscle. This last stage of starvation sees muscles beginning to wither, causing grave and potentially irreversible damage to your heart (which is, of course, a muscle) and organs.

Starvation is a terrible ailment, breaking our regular organ functions and destroying our bodies from within. Obviously, going days or weeks without eating will cause starvation. But many around the world also suffer from long-term starvation, as they consume enough calories to survive, but not enough to keep the body functioning properly.

Especially in poorer and less-developed countries, millions of people – especially children – are dangerously underweight because they are undernourished. A calorie deficit can add up over months and years, leading to chronic health problems and shorter life spans.

In a world where we have more than enough food for every person on Earth, there is no reason for anyone to ever have to face this grim situation. Indeed, we all have a responsibility to ensure that our neighbors have enough to eat.

Help Embrace Relief provide food to people in need!

That spirit, and that commitment to easing hunger wherever it exists on the planet is one of the foundations of our work here at Embrace Relief. Hunger Relief is one of our flagship programs, and over the past decade we have shown our dedication by providing foot to vulnerable communities in more than 40 countries.

Right now, we are focused on the country of Yemen, where a conflict ongoing since 2014 has forced many people to flee their homes, and created conditions ripe for famine. As a result, nearly half of the country’s population of 33 million is undernourished and at risk for the long-term starvation we discussed earlier in this article.

To help the people of Yemen, Embrace Relief is providing food packages to families in need. These food packages will provide up to two weeks’ worth of nutritious, healthy food for a family of six. They will go a long way towards reversing the worst effects of long-term hunger.

But we need the generous support of people like you to make this happen!

Donate to our Ramadan 2024 campaign by using the field below and help us bring much-needed staple foods like pasta, beans, rice, lentils, and more to those in need. Every dollar makes a difference, and a gift of just $50 will help one more family go to bed on a full stomach.

Donate to Embrace Relief today and let’s work together to ease world hunger!

Thanksgiving, a time-honored holiday in the United States, is a time for gratitude, togetherness, and tradition. Families and friends across the nation gather to celebrate this holiday, and over the years, certain traditions have become deeply established. Here are the top five Thanksgiving traditions and the stories of how they came to be.

1. The Thanksgiving Feast

The Thanksgiving feast is the centerpiece of the holiday, traditionally featuring a grand spread of turkey alongside plates full of side dishes including stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The tradition of a bountiful, shared meal of thanksgiving dates back to the early 17th century when the Pilgrims, newly arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, celebrated their successful harvest with a three-day feast. It was a way to give thanks for their survival and the help of the Wampanoag Native Americans. While the exact menu may have evolved over the centuries, the spirit of communal gratitude and sharing persists.

2. Parades

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City is perhaps the most famous of all Thanksgiving parades. First held in 1924, the parade features colossal balloons of beloved characters, marching bands, and celebrity performances. The idea for a parade started when employees of Macy’s wanted to celebrate the holiday in a unique way. Their vision was to bring people together, lift their spirits, and generate excitement for the upcoming holiday shopping season. Today, this tradition continues to captivate millions, both in person and through televised broadcasts, as they usher in the holiday season with a sense of wonder and awe.

3. Football

For many Americans, Thanksgiving Day means football. The tradition of football on Thanksgiving dates back to the late 19th century. The holiday quickly became associated with college football, with Yale and Princeton playing Thanksgiving games as early as 1876. By the early 20th century, the day also became the traditional time for rival high schools to play. Finally, professional football was added to the menu after the National Football League (NFL) was founded in 1920. The Detroit Lions began a tradition of playing a home game each Thanksgiving Day in 1934, which continues today. The Dallas Cowboys are also famous for their Thanksgiving games, which they have played each year since 1966.

4. Turkey Pardoning

The presidential turkey pardon is a more recent tradition that has gained significant attention. Every year, the President of the United States “pardons” a turkey, sparing it from becoming Thanksgiving dinner. The origins of this tradition are somewhat debated; legend has it that Abraham Lincoln supposedly pardoned a turkey in 1863. But it wasn’t until President George H. W. Bush in 1989 that the first formal pardon was granted. The lighthearted ceremony, often accompanied by jokes and puns, highlights the presidential sense of humor while symbolizing the holiday’s message of mercy and thankfulness.

5. Volunteering and Giving Back

Thanksgiving is not only a time for personal reflection but also a time to give back to those in need. Community service, volunteering, and charitable giving have become deeply ingrained in the holiday spirit. Thanksgiving is a time for sharing food with those less fortunate, which can be achieved by volunteering at local food banks, or giving to charities who provide food to vulnerable people around the world. This tradition of kindness and compassion serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Thanksgiving – to share blessings and support the community.

These traditions, deeply rooted in American culture, remind us of the significance of Thanksgiving as a time for family, gratitude, and unity. While the specifics of the celebrations may evolve over time, the core values of thankfulness and togetherness remain constant. From the historical roots of the Pilgrims’ feast to the modern-day celebrations, Thanksgiving traditions in the United States continue to be cherished and passed down from one generation to the next, keeping the spirit of the holiday alive.

Donate to Embrace Relief’s “Breaking Bread With Yemen” in the spirit of Thanksgiving!

If you’re looking to make an impact this Thanksgiving season, there’s no better way than a donation to Embrace Relief’s “Breaking Bread With Yemen” hunger relief campaign!

This program supports several bakeries in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which provide life-saving bread to thousands of Yemenis who continue to struggle for food as the conflict in that country nears its 11th year. Embrace Relief has distributed hundreds of thousands of loaves of bread since this campaign began in 2021, and it is only thanks to the support of generous people like you that we can continue.

A donation of $50 can feed a family of eight for an entire month, and $600 will feed them for a full year. But a donation of any size is appreciated – every dollar means the world to Yemeni families affected by hunger. Donate today and together, we can give the people of Yemen hope for a brighter future this holiday season!