Ramadan Lights
As I prayed at @masyouthcenter during the end of Taraweeh, the lights were turned off, and we continued our prayers by the soft glow of the Ramadan lights strung all around. In that quiet moment after prayer, I reflected on what Ramadan decor truly means to me.
I am fighting for the liberation of Falasteen and for the respect and dignity that we, as Muslims, are entitled to.
Can you imagine feeling threatened for putting up Christmas decor outside your home? For Muslims, we often wonder - will someone take down our decorations or vandalize our house? It’s not just a concern; it’s a reality for many of us.
Ramadan decor isn’t about who spent the most
or whose display shines the brightest.
It’s about what I never had
growing up in the cookie-cutter suburbs,
where our faith was meant to stay quiet,
where belonging meant leaving pieces of myself behind. As a first-generation Palestinian Muslim,
we moved carefully through spaces
that were never made for us.
To fit in was to shrink,
to tuck away our culture, our faith,
to be unseen unless spoken for.
Every year, the world lit up for Christmas,
every yard glowing, every window gleaming—a multitude of Xmas story books. But Ramadan? There were no books that reflected our Ramadan nights, no stories that felt like home. Ramadan was celebrated only in our private communities,
hidden behind closed doors,
unseen by the world beyond.
As I got older, we resorted to Christmas lights,
borrowing what we could,
trying to carve space for our joy
in a world that never made room for it. And then, slowly, Ramadan decor appeared -
too expensive at first,
but now, lanterns glow in every store,
crescent moons shimmer in the night.
Our children now have their own stories - Ramadan books filled with the warmth of our faith,
and our joy no longer hides.
So I fill my home with light, adorn my windows, set up my inflatables, not for competition, not for show, but because I can. Because I am here. Because I am a proud Palestinian Muslim, and that is more than enough.
by Nisreen, Palestinian-American, founder of Mamas for a Free Palestine (@mamas_4_afreepalestine), NYC
