From March 22 to April 21, Muslims around the world will celebrate Ramadan, a month- long religious holiday. While it is traditionally a holiday for Muslims, anyone can take part in it.

Ramadan is a time of self-reflection during which time participants strengthen their relationship with God. During Ramadan, people typically fast from sunrise to sunset, avoiding all food and drink, although there are circumstances that excuse participants from fasting.

“It’s not hard for me to fast because I’ve been doing it since I was 12 and I do it to get closer to God,” said Shana Ali. Fasting during Ramadan gives her a different perspective on those who don’t have food or water.

After Ramadan, comes Eid, the holiday of breaking the fast. Eid Mubarak is an Arabic term that means “blessed feast” or “festival”. The term is used by Muslims all over the world. For Rahiq Saeed, her favorite thing about Eid is “when we go to the mosque and say the Eid prayer, then go to a family member’s house and exchange gifts and money.”

Ramadan is dictated by the lunar cycle, beginning and ending with a crescent moon, so the dates change from year to year.