A Ramadan lanternSeptember 2, 2009: This year's holy month of Ramadan, which began on August 22, is being marked by Muslims around the world as it has for centuries -- with fasting, prayer, and good deeds.

For Muslims, who make up roughly a quarter of the world's population, Ramadan is a spiritual time for reflecting, abstaining from self-indulgence, and seeking forgiveness for past sins. Families fast from dawn to dusk. Children are not expected to fast until after puberty. Some like to practice going without food for short periods, to train for adulthood.

Marking the Holiday in SOS Children's Villages

One principle of SOS Children's Villages, a charity that provides homes, SOS mothers, and a supportive community for orphaned children in 132 countries, is to raise children within their own cultural and religious traditions. SOS mothers -- local women who love children and receive professional training in child rearing -- themselves share many of the same traditions of the children they love and care for.

Ramadan is a special holiday in the Muslim countries around the world that host SOS Children's Villages. The memories that SOS children have of their SOS family's celebration of the holiday remain with them forever.

Happy Memories for SOS's Muslim Children

Little boys share a meal in an SOS Children's Village in Ksarnaba, Lebanon"The best part of Ramadan is eating iftar [the evening meal when Muslims break their daily fast]!" says ten-year-old Heba, a girl at SOS Children's Village-Ksarnaba, in Lebanon. Her favorite iftar foods are Fatoush (a Lebanese salad), fried potatoes, and dates. "My favorite thing in Ramadan is when our whole family and the other families eat iftar together."

Heba also loves when her SOS family decorates the house with flowers and lights. "My friends from other family houses and their mothers come and help us and we go and help them decorate their houses, too."

Heba says she feels sad at the end of Ramadan. "It's usually the most fun month of the year. But the good thing is that afterward we have Eid [the holiday marking the end of Ramadan]. On that day we get all sorts of gifts and new dresses."

Boys pose for a picture in an SOS Children's Village in Khartoum, SudanIn Sudan, at the SOS Children's Village-Khartoum, thirteen-year-old Abdel-Wahab revels in his favorite Ramadan dish, aseedah -- a traditional Sudanese dish made of corn flour and a sauce with onions, garlic, ghee (butter), and vegetables. Last year Abdel-Wahab says, he fasted for nineteen days. "This year I hope to fast the whole month. Fasting teaches us how poor people feel and makes us understand their need so that we can be kinder to them."

Help a Child Find Security Within a Home and a Tradition

Children thrive when they are able to grow up in a safe, warm home and are part of a family in which local cultural and religious traditions are valued. To help more children like Heba and Abdel-Wahab secure a family, food, an education, and health care, think about sponsoring an SOS child today.