(WWJ) – Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, begins Friday evening, and a major celebration is making its return to Metro Detroit.
Dearborn’s Ramadan Suhoor Festival kicks off Friday at 11 p.m., as Muslims and non-Muslims alike will gather for a Suhoor – the meal taken before sunrise each day of Ramadan.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud joined WWJ’s Erin Vee to discuss what a Suhoor is, why Ramadan is so important to Muslims and why the festival – making its return from a two-year COVID-hiatus – is such a big deal.
Hammoud says Ramadan is a month “where you try to reconnect or connect to a greater degree with God, spiritually" through prayer and fasting from dawn to dusk.
The festival will run 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. every Friday and Saturday through the month of Ramadan, with more than 50 food trucks and vendors gathering near the Sears parking lot at the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn. The mayor noted there will be “a twist” on many traditional meals to align “with things people eat these days.”
Hammoud says the festival has a “warm, welcoming climate for all who attend, whether you’re Muslim or not."
“I Think it’s also a great opportunity to build bridges with other communities and for us to learn from one another,” he said.
Weather depending, he says thousands of people are expected each night of the festival.
More information on the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, including a list of vendors can be found on the event’s Instagram page.
Related
