A few days separate us from the holy month of Ramadan, and that is why groups of women on various social media sites began to share preparations and equipment for the home to receive the holy month, either by storing food in the freezer, cleaning the house or even decorating it with the joyful Ramadan decorations.
Among supporters and opponents of this matter, we spoke with Dina El-Shorbagy, founder of the Dorganize group, on Facebook for advice on organizing and arranging, to tell us about the importance of preparing the house for the holy month of Ramadan, and about the most important advice that is preferred to follow to spend the month of Ramadan with the least amount of fatigue and effort expended.
Why do we prepare in advance?
In the beginning, Dina says that the month of Ramadan differs from all the months of the year because during the period of fasting a person's energy decreases significantly, and it is more important in Ramadan to find sufficient time to perform acts of worship and obedience, such as praying and reading the Qur’an, in addition to the Tahajjud prayer and night prayer, so it is obligatory. That the woman tries to reduce her burden in fasting as much as possible, by storing prepared food so that cooking does not take a long time during fasting, or even during the breakfast period of the day, which must be devoted to worship.
Not only that, but on normal days, it has become rare for members of the same family to meet at the dining table at the same time, due to the difference in return dates from schools, universities and business, and each family member has his own schedule that may prevent him from eating at home or force him to eat it late For the rest of the family.
As for Ramadan, the situation is different, because all family members meet at the same time and cannot be postponed, so obtaining advance help from oneself is necessary at some times.
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How to equip the freezer
Dina adds that it is possible not to fully prepare a meal or a specific item in the event that there is not enough space for that, or just because there is no desire to prepare complete meals.
In this case, it is better to prepare some ingredients for direct use, such as chopping and storing onions and garlic, preparing soup and sauce, preparing chicken pan, kofta and minced meat with onions, cutting vegetables, and seasoning chicken and meat for use in cooking directly.
All these small equipment saves time and effort while cooking, as well as reduces the burden of washing dishes and utensils while fasting.
It is common that storing food needs a large space, but Dina asserts that it is also possible for someone who owns a small freezer to store some ingredients if she wants. The problem is not the space as much as it lies in how to use small spaces, so in the case of the desire to store Soup or sauce, it is best to pour it into a rectangular bag that can be closed and opened easily, and that the content of the bag is kept horizontally so that it does not occupy a large place in the "freezer" unnecessarily.
Preparation of electrical appliances
Preparation is not limited to preparing food only, but also extends to cleaning, and Dina recommends that you clean the kitchen well before Ramadan long enough, specifically electrical appliances such as dishwasher, clothes, stove and microwave, and this is because they will be used continuously throughout the month, so the cleaning process is important so as not to Any of these devices suddenly fail due to the accumulation of food crumbs in the filter or in the oven.
It is also better to organize everything that can be needed during the holy month, and buy the missing items before the beginning of the month, so that it is not a double effort at that time.
Dina gave examples of this by arranging the plastic boxes section in the kitchen, preparing the distinctive dishes and cups that she loves to use throughout the month to distinguish it from the rest of the months of the year.
Taking care of the rest of the house
Apart from the kitchen, there are some other things that can be done before the advent of Ramadan, which helps either to save time and effort, or to feel the spirituality of the holy month and learn new habits.
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Dina advises you to try to fix household faults before the fasting month comes, and if there are some things in the house that need repairs and bring a technician to the house, whether it is a plumber, carpenter or electrician, it is better to complete these tasks in the days before Ramadan, and this is in order to prepare the house to receive the holy month In the most beautiful decorations.
In addition, it will be difficult to agree with the repair technician on a suitable date for the household during Ramadan.
As for the spirituality of the month to evoke the spirituality of the month, a few decorations for Ramadan add a lot of joy to the home, and it does not have to be an expensive decoration, rather it is possible to reuse the decorations used in previous years if they are still in good condition, and it is also possible to make decorations manually with the simplest means .
In the end, Dina adds that she likes to allocate a corner for prayer at home that is appropriate, so that the only activity in this part is prayer and worship only, and that this corner may be useful in the event that there are children in the house, as it is a special time they spend with their parents - in this month Al-Fadhil especially and other months - they pray and read the Qur’an.