Memories from Past Ramadans (and Eids)

Memories from Past Ramadans (and Eids)

Many years ago, when I was a young, my mother told me that during Ramadan, all the djinn and satans would be chained in Hell, they would not be allowed out to wreck mischief to us human.
That means a free license to roam the neighbourhood, play outside after Maghrib, sunset and go to the mosque with my father on the pretext to pray terawih, but play with friends outside the mosque. Real fun times. Ramadan also means that my nightly Quran class at the late Haji Abdul Ghafur’s place suspended for a month.
In those days, the mosque was the happening place at night. I would follow my father to the mosque for Isyak prayer. Then when the villagers started praying terawih, we kids would go out and play until its time for the moreh food was served. Then we would join the villagers to eat the food.
In later years I would just perform 8 rakaat terawih prayer, while the rest of the villagers continue on finishing 20 rakaats. I would spent the time chit chatting and helping some people preparing the sweet tea after the villagers finished performing their terawih prayers.
Towards the middle of Ramadan we kids would be busy playing cannon and firecrackers. We also prepared small kerosene lights to light up our house. Normally we just use milk can with a short section of jute. The cans were half filled with kerosene, make a small hole at the middle of top cover, then thread the jute through the hole. One end of the jute is dipped in kerosene inside the can, so when we light up the jute jutting at the top of the cover, kerosene would be sucked and feed the firelight.
Normally these lights would be placed from the road entrance to the front step of our houses. Sort of lighting the way to our front step.My parents told me that during Ramadan, the roh, the spirit of our dead relatives, grandparents would visit our houses during the night in Ramadan, especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan.