Middle Eastern cuisine becomes a banquet, with exchanges of invitations between kin and friends, and public banquets held by charities and associations. Cafes and pastry shops are open at night, and a carnival atmosphere prevails in the streets. Many Muslims, following the reported example of Muhammad, break their fast with a date, followed by a variety of dishes. Sweet pastries and puddings are always present on Ramadan nights everywhere. The end of Ramadan is marked by a festival, Id 'al-Fitr, a feast that breaks the fast, during which a great quantity and variety of sweets and pastries are consumed. The other major Muslim
Fast-a-Thon Fast-a-Thon Fast-A-Thon is an event held in the month of Ramadan on university campuses all across North America to create awareness about the issue of hunger, and also about the Islamic way of life and Muslims. Muslim student organizations, typically the Muslim Students' Association (MSA) get students of all faith to sign up to fast for a day according to Islamic traditions, and for each person that fasts, arrangements are made for a certain amount to be donated to charity on behalf of the person fasting. They usually are also invited to break their fasts with other Muslims at the