Breaking the Fast

Around here most everyone is fasting all day long this month, that means no food or drink during daylight hours.  I've always heard about it but its interesting to actually see it in action.  It starts about 5:15am and so people get up to eat breakfast about 4:30 then maybe they go back to sleep (that is what I would do).  At around 7:15pm they break their fast, most usually at home with their family but not always.

Normally around here someone is always eating.  For instance I have never seen an empty KFC.  Never.  People just eat when they get hungry and not on a certain schedule.  And they eat like hobbits: breakfast at 7ish, lunch from 12 to 2 or so, tea from 3-5, dinner around 8pm, and supper at 10pm if they feel like it.  And each family member is on their own schedule.  

KFC even has a special discounted "happy hour" (i.e. tea time) menu from 3-6pm where a bunch of little meals are around a dollar.  People like to go out for breakfast food late in the evening too.  The latest Craig has eaten here was supper ... one night at about 11:45pm.

So anyway, back to the fasting.  As you can imagine when 7:15 rolls around, people are ready to eat.  At our house when its "time to eat" we still have 15 minutes of stuff to do.  Napkins to get, drinks to fill, etc.  But when its time to eat dinner now people EAT.

Tonight we were breaking our fast at Pizza Hut (OK we are not really fasting but are waiting until everyone else eats supper to eat ours and not eating or drinking around any neighbors out of respect).  We walked in knowing it was about time but saw some fasters at tables with food and drinks.  "Hmmm, is it already time?" we ask ourselves.  Nope not yet.  We realize people have food and drinks but they are not touching them.  

Then at 7:15ish we hear the sound that lets people know its officially time and they can eat.  Around Pizza Hut straws go into people's mouths and the Pepsi starts to go down.  Then folks start to eat.  Thus confirming our idea that people aren't still cooking and preparing at 7:15.  When its time they are EATING and I don't blame them!

Another interesting thing we are seeing is kind of a food carnival or flea market.  Since so many families here are two-income households, there are places all over town where you can stop on your way home from work and buy the special kinds of food people like to have this month.  Imagine if there was a place where you could swing by and get some homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes and a big bag of sweet tea (more on that tomorrow) and carry it all home ready to eat.  That is what its like right now.  For foodies its the most wonderful time of the year.