Just looked up “Loving Day,” out of a vague curiosity.
Huh! It’s the anniversary of the 1967 SCOTUS decision which struck down all the anti-miscegenation laws in the last 16 states that had ‘em…”The biggest multiracial celebration in the U.S.”
Well, I’ll celebrate THAT. Bring on the collards, frijoles, shrimp dumplings, and mayonnaise!
Please, I beg of you, do NOT mix these things into one unholy concoction, okay?
I have examined my conscience with a powerful magnifying glass and I have determined that I dispensed exactly as much opprobrium regarding Ramadan as I did Lent this year so I’ll be skipping the self flagellation, much as I might actually enjoy it. Oh well.
… And for weeks, all my colleagues at work could talk about was the upcoming Ramadan. I mean, on and on. OK, that’s fine, they could be talking about which celebrity was getting a divorce, or G.O.T. or whatever, but man, it went on for weeks.
The capper though, was when they started bugging me about what meal me and my family were not going to eat at Ramadan. They were all like “We’ve decided this year not to eat turkey” and “Oh, we didn’t eat turkey last year, but now we’re not going to eat stuffed fish.”
When I told them I did not celebrate Ramadan, and would just be having our usual dinner, they went all silent, and someone told me that I was not a “real American”.
Everyone else has already addressed the OP. I just wanted to add that this is probably the first year I knew when Ramadan was going on, as it came up in some wholesome meme stuff. I learned it was over from this very board.
As the OP sure doesn’t sound like he has any Muslim friends, it seems odd he was so hyper aware of it. It’s not like anyone makes a big deal out of it.
Just last week I was at home, trying to enjoy some Ramadan music free time (I know, hard to get this time of year). My office has been overwhelmed with Ramadan decorations, Ramadan themed parties and Ramadan carols, so I was just chilling at home, listening to some Coltrane and having a beer.
Then the doorbell rings, and wouldn’t you know it, it was a couple of nicely dressed young men with a Quaran under one arm. “Can we share some divine revelations from Allah?” one of them said.
“No thanks, busy” I replied, but one of them had already stuck his foot in the door. “We just want to read some passages to you! No disaster strikes except by permission of Allah . And whoever believes in Allah – He will guide his heart. And Allah is Knowing of all things!”
“NO THANKS!” I repeated, and tried to close the door. They were persistent, I’ll give them that. When I finally closed the door on them, I could hear them cursing me and saying I was going to be punished in Jahannam, and why don’t I go back to Europe where I belong. I was born here! Really pissed me off.
Truly, evidence of Ramadan being jammed down people’s throats is like looking for Scumpup’s penis: it’s something you have to look too hard to establish it exists, and nobody really cares anyway.
Tempting. Because I do have a cousin who I think is a professor at the University there.
15 bucks seems a little steep, though. And the fact that it’s mere millimeters from the Frozen North (on the Google Maps display on my iPhone) does give me pause.