The holy Islamic month of Ramadan begins Monday, and it's causing some clock confusion in the Middle East, the Associated Press is reporting.
Egypt and the Palestinians are falling back an hour far earlier than usual, trying to reduce daylight hours for Muslims fasting until sunset in oppressive summer temperatures.
Here's the applicable definition of "fast" based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. Breaking fast during Ramadan is often done with a piece of date. Pictured above are mahyoosa, or date paste cookies.
fast
verb (used without object)
1. to abstain from all food.
2. to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance.
verb (used with object)
3. to cause to abstain entirely from or limit food; put on a fast: to fast a patient for a day before surgery.
noun
4. an abstinence from food, or a limiting of one's food, esp. when voluntary and as a religious observance; fasting.
5. a day or period of fasting.
Six-year-old Daslim Hussain looks up to his brother Danbiv, 11, as the duo join other Muslims in prayer at the Springetts Fire Company social room last year during Eid Al-Fitr, a festival marking the end of Ramadan.
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