Cultural Experience Reflection

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Student Name: Jon Mendicelli

Date: April 30, 2019

Instructions:
● Identify and attend a cultural experience.
○ Examples of cultural experiences include an ethnic festival, cultural museum,
movie, religious service/ceremony, heritage celebration/ceremony, art
museum/display, performance art event (music/dance), etc.
● Complete the following assignment.

Identify the cultural experience:

Muslim holiday of Ramadan

Date of cultural experience:

Month-long from early May to early June

Location of cultural experience:

Afghanistan

Describe the cultural experience:

Ramadan is an Islamic holiday, observed to different degrees throughout Muslim

culture. The hallmark of Ramadan is the fasting during daylight; no food, water or sex.
How was the actual cultural experience different/similar from what you thought it would be?
In the U.S., before I went to Afghanistan, I had a very rudimentary idea of Ramadan
practices. I believed the Ramadan fasting to be similar to my understanding of Catholic Lent,
which is elementary itself. All I knew of Lent was that people generally chose one vice to give up
for 40 days and also abstained from meat on Sundays. I assumed the Ramadan fasting was
similar by not allowing the eating meat for a span of 30 days. While they are both types of
fasting for religious purpose, strict adherence to Ramadan fasting involves a lot more than I
typically see from other religions in the U.S.

What did you learn about the culture from attending the cultural experience?
When I realized that strict Muslim followers don’t just not eat meat, but actually don’t
eat or drink anything all day, I was stunned. What is most stunning to me is that this observance
occurs during one of the hottest months of the year and Muslims aren’t even allowed to drink
water. I worked with the Afghan Army soldiers during this time. It was outrageous to me to
think that they would be doing the same job as me, during 100°+ temperatures, without
drinking water or eating. As you could imagine there was a lot higher prevalence of heat-related
injuries during this time.

How did your perceptions about this culture change/not change following the cultural
experience?
After understanding what these people were going through, it was easier for me to
understand their unusual lack of patience. The longer the individual day went on, as well as the
longer the month-long observance went on, the more irritable people tended to become.
When put into perspective of life in the U.S. for someone strictly following the rules of
Ramadan, it can be even worse. In Afghanistan, everyone participates, so the flow of life
changes for those 30 days. People do their work before sun up or right after sundown (work is
often outdoors), so that they can stay out of the sun during the day. In America though, our
society does not change to accommodate these practices. Muslims are still expected to go to
work during the day, get the kids ready for school, and do a lot of other business during daylight
hours.

How do you think your acquired knowledge from this cultural experience will affect your
performance in the workplace (with co-workers, customers, patients, clients, etc.)?
After having this experience, I am now much more aware of this time of year when
interacting with Muslims. If a Muslim believer has been a very pleasant patient of mine for
months, but then in the summer their attitude and personality changes, I will be able to inquire
about their Ramadan experience. Knowing that they’re likely short-tempered and unpleasant is
more likely due to the fasting than their true feelings. Additionally, if their performance has all
of a sudden seemingly regressed, I will consider poor hydration a very likely cause and be able
to provide education on the even higher importance that the patient hydrate throughout the
evening with great intention.