Ramadan is a celebratory season. Spending Ramadan away from home and from family and friends does not mean you should not enjoy it.
Between the endless list of Mousalsslet (TV shows) and the countless ‘Chakan el Fatr (invitations to iftar and night gatherings), and the many cafés at night, spending the holy month in Tunisia is wholesome; a unique experience that we wait for from one year to the next.
Since we know that many of our readers are Tunisians living abroad, and we understand that spending this special month away from the familiar can be challenging, we created a guide to help you bring the spirit of “Ramadan in Tunisia” to you.
Similar Read: 9 Things to Know about Ramadan in Tunisia
Iftar Potluck
Ramadan is all about enjoying the spirit of togetherness. Inviting your friends over for an iftar potluck – where each person prepares or buys a sweet or savory dish – lets you enjoy the delicious food that takes you back to family iftars back home.
In general, iftar in almost every household in Tunisia includes lben, Deglet El Nour (Tunisian dates), Chorba, and brik, a very popular Tunisian delicacy.
Suggested Read: 10 Things to Know If Invited for a Tunisian Iftar
TV Shows
One of the aspects we enjoy the most about Ramadan are the TV shows that broadcast during the whole holly month of Ramadan.
To feel closer to home and enjoy Ramadan like you normally would in Tunisia, follow some Tunisian TV shows.
Tunisian Food
To experience your Iftar like you normally would back home, get a few easy Tunisian recipes from your mom, prepare your favorite iftar table for a close friend and yourself, and enjoy.
Suggested Read: 10 Delicious Tunisian Dishes for Ramadan
Trawih Prayer
Just like in many Muslim-majority countries, in Tunisia, most people head to their nearest mosque with their parents or siblings immediately after they break their fast at iftar to pray Trawih, special prayers performed at night in Ramadan.
In order to feel closer to home, you can perform this ritual in your neighborhood or city mosque. If there is no mosque near where you live, you can pray at home, in the company of close friends you break your fast with.
Bkhour
Ramadan isn’t the same without smelling Bkhour all over the house.
Feel free to fragrance yourself and your home abroad with some Bkhour and Oud during the blessed month of Ramadan and beyond! It definitely reminds you of the smell of home in Tunisia. Don’t make it so smoky though as the neighbors may get high!
Charity
If you are used to preparing Ramadan boxes for the less fortunate members of your community or distributing Iftar essentials to passersby, there’s so much good you can do abroad as well.
Whether through donating to charity organizations, preparing meals for the homeless, or offering to do community service, there are endless ways to give to the less fortunate.
Post-Iftar/Trawih Coffee
In Tunisia, as most people go out for a cup of coffee or mint tea served at cafés across the the country. You may want to check a nearby coffee-shop or Hookah lounge to spend some Ramadan-style moments.
Romdhankom Mabrouk 😍
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