It is a must for friends and families to gather at least for one day in Ramadan to have Iftar together. For some, this is part of the Ramadan fun. Most gatherings take place during Ramadan Iftar. For friends, Iftar is a time to escape from the Ramadan routine and spend time with friends. Many people assume that gathering with friends and family in Ramadan is part of the traditions of the holy month. Lama Khalid is a married female Saudi in her late 20s. “Gatherings during Ramadan have their own sweetness. We meet in houses to drink coffee and eat dates. We wear special clothes and this helps us connect to our popular purebred traditions,” she said. Ghazal Abdullah is also a female in her late 20s “Gathering in Ramadan has a positive and beautiful impact on the human being. It enables us to build kinship. It is a nice habit and everything in Ramadan has a different and beautiful taste,” she said. For some, meeting people in Ramadan is a way to build healthy and strong relationships. Sanaa Najem, a Saudi female in her 50s, said: “There is nothing more beautiful than a Ramadan Iftar gathering where family members and friends sit together after Iftar to talk and catch up. It is a better way of communication. We can gather rather than talk to each other through the phone or sending text messages,” she said. Other females prefer to gather in Shaban rather than Ramadan. Saraa Khalil is a married Saudi woman in her 30s who meets her friends every year in either Shaban or Ramadan. “Me and my friends, we meet each other in Shaban or Ramadan. I prefer Shaban because of the decorations, the dresses and everything else in these gatherings. I feel the spirit of Ramadan at these gatherings,” she said.
