In a city that has seen more changes in 30 years than most experience in hundreds of years, keeping tradition alive can be a challenge. In the face of such change and modernisation Ramadan, the month of fasting, praying and reflection, is also a time to reconnect with family and friends and strengthen bonds that may have weakened as people go about their everyday lives. The al Rumaithys are a modern Emirati family from Abu Dhabi who seek to maintain, and where necessary, revive traditions during the holy month.
"Even though there has been so much change, we still spend Ramadan the same way we did when we were kids," says Ali Abdullah Kaddas al Rumaithy. "Of course, there are things that are different. There is less communication between people. Neighbourhoods and communities don't talk to each other as much as they did. Before we had to physically go to over to our neighbours and friends to wish them Ramadan Kareem, now the same thing can be done with the touch of a button. There are e-cards for Ramadan and people just send the same general message to all the people in their phone books. But, there is still more contact than there is during the rest of the year."
The al Rumaithy family gathers in the Majlis about 15 minutes before the call to prayer. The food, carefully laid out on the floor, sends mouth-watering aromas out from the covered dishes adorning the central cloth. Ali and his siblings, who lost their parents a few years ago, value upholding their strong family traditions - and they do it well. The closeness of the family is evident as the twin brothers, Ali and Kaddas, joke with their sisters, wives and children. The beautifully decorated majlis, where the family gathers to share the meal, adds to the warmth. Ali, always busy with business, says during Ramadan he is home for iftar every night. "Fasting and thinking all day really focuses the mind. I want to be here to break the fast with the people I love. We have things to catch up on and make up for the time that we perhaps haven't had during the rest of the year." The call to prayer emanates from the a large-screen television in the corner of the room - something else that is new. In the past, people had to rely on the mosques to alert them to iftar. Ali's sister explains how the day's fast is broken by eating dates and sipping water. "We follow the example of Prophet Mohammed who instructed that we break the fast by eating between three and seven dates and sipping water. The reason is because the dates are gentle on the stomach. Also, after we break the fast with the dates we go and pray before returning to the full meal. While praying we have to bend down, so the dates and water are light in our stomachs," she says, gesticulating with hands adorned with henna in the traditional Emirati style for Ramadan. On the return from prayers, the main meal begins. The al Rumaithys start with a delicious chicken soup. "Easy on the stomach," Ali's wife explains. "Even though many of the foods you see here would have been the same as what was eaten during Ramadan 30 years ago. The mix of cultures we have here has had an influence. There are a lot of Lebanese dishes and even Chinese and Italian make a show." Putting the words into practice, she produces a hybrid samosa which is crispy on the outside and had Chinese spices and Lebanese cheese filling. A staple on Emirati tables during Ramadan is Harees, which is made of wheat, meat and salt. The wheat is crushed until it is edible then soaked overnight. The meat and the wheat go into a pot which cooks on the hob. Biryani is another favourite. The base of the dish is delicately-flavoured rice served with mutton or chicken. Originally an Indian dish, the Gulf's version is less spicy. The massive spread of dessert was perfectly timed to coincide with the popular animated series Freej. The room fell silent, apart from the occasional burst of laughter, as the family enjoyed the show together. After dessert, coffee was served. Ali explains that this is another change. Before the advent of television and during bigger family gatherings, the men and women would separate after they had eaten. The women would retire to their own sitting room and the men would stay where they were, drinking coffee, playing cards and talking until the early hours of the morning. As the meal ended, everyone congratulated Elyazia, 4, for putting food on her own plate and eating it by herself, and for not making a mess. The comfort of the gathering and the closeness shared by the members of the family offers an instructive lesson in a world where eating together has become the exception rather than the rule. @email:fcampbell@thenational.ae
