Public Iftar in Rome, 2022

Largo Preneste. Rome, April 26, 2022

As every year, during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the community of Bangladesh, represented by the Greater Dhaka Samity (Association), gathers in Largo Preneste for the public iftar, or the breaking of fasting and prayer.

Both men and women have shown, once again, what happens during Ramadan in private homes, mosques, and restaurants, making public a family and private event precisely to underline the integration and maximum openness (of the square) of the Muslim community in the city texture of Rome.

After everyone ate together, the sunset prayer took place, with the appointment for Eid-il-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, which is coming next week.

The ifṭār (Arabic: إفطار) is the evening meal eaten by Muslims who break their daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. The ifṭār is celebrated after reciting the salat al-Maghrib (canonical sunset prayer). Tradition has it that dates are eaten, in memory of the way in which the Prophet Muhammad broke the fast.

In Bangladesh, a wide variety of foods are prepared to celebrate ifṭār. Some typical of Bengali cuisine, such as piyaji, beguni, jalebi, yellow lentils (often boiled in water and spiced with onion, garlic and chilli), halim, samosa, mughlai paratha (a type of paratha with minced meat and spices), pitha, local sweets and different types of fruit such as watermelon). The most common drinks are lemon sharbat and Rooh Afza.

Italian version