Ramadan quiz questions: traditions and observances

Ramadan is the month of fasting in the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims all over the world, so there's a good chance some of your quiz regulars keep it. These 19 questions cover the basics, the traditions that vary from country to country, and a few calendar questions that trip people up. They run from easy to hard across three rounds, and there's advice at the end on marking and on hosting a quiz while some of your players are fasting.

Warm-up questions

1Ramadan is which month of the Islamic calendar?Use in quizUse

Answer:The ninth (source)(click to reveal)

2During Ramadan, what is the meal that breaks the fast at sunset called?Use in quizUse

Answer:Iftar(click to reveal)

3What is the meal eaten before dawn during Ramadan called?Use in quizUse

Answer:Suhoor (also spelled suhur)(click to reveal)

4What food is traditionally eaten first to break the fast, following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad?Use in quizUse

Answer:Dates (usually with water, source)(click to reveal)

5Which festival marks the end of Ramadan?Use in quizUse

Answer:Eid al-Fitr(click to reveal)

6What does the greeting "Ramadan Mubarak" mean?Use in quizUse

Answer:Blessed Ramadan (source)(click to reveal)

The other common greeting, "Ramadan Kareem", means "generous Ramadan".

Traditions around the world

7In 2023, Coventry Street in which city was lit up with its first aerial Ramadan lights?Use in quizUse

Answer:London (in the West End, source)(click to reveal)

The project was led by Aisha Desai of Ramadan Lights UK.

8The Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr) is believed to fall on which nights of Ramadan?Use in quizUse

Answer:One of the odd-numbered nights in the last ten days (source)(click to reveal)

It marks the night Muslims believe the Quran was first revealed. Many Sunni Muslims mark the 27th, while Shi'a Muslims put more weight on the 23rd.

9What name is given to the extra night prayers held in mosques during Ramadan?Use in quizUse

Answer:Tarawih(click to reveal)

They're not compulsory, though many people assume they are.

10What's the name for the practice of staying in a mosque to devote yourself to worship, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan?Use in quizUse

Answer:I'tikaf (source)(click to reveal)

11What is "fidyah", and who might pay it during Ramadan?Use in quizUse

Answer:A payment to feed the poor, made by people who can't fast and can't make the days up later (for example because of a lasting illness, source)(click to reveal)

It's paid for each fast missed.

12Which charitable gift, traditionally of staple food, should be given before the Eid prayer so that poorer families can celebrate too?Use in quizUse

Answer:Zakat al-Fitr (source)(click to reveal)

13What's the name of the person who walks the streets before dawn beating a drum to wake people for the pre-dawn meal?Use in quizUse

Answer:The mesaharati (also spelled musaharati, source)(click to reveal)

14The fanous, a colourful lantern hung in streets and homes during Ramadan, is traditionally associated with which country?Use in quizUse

Answer:Egypt (source)(click to reveal)

15In Turkey, what is traditionally fired from a hilltop in each city to tell people it's time for iftar?Use in quizUse

Answer:A cannon (source)(click to reveal)

Harder questions

16The name "Ramadan" comes from an Arabic root related to what?Use in quizUse

Answer:Scorching heat (source)(click to reveal)

17Why is the exact start date of Ramadan often only confirmed at the last minute, sometimes differing between countries?Use in quizUse

Answer:It traditionally depends on someone sighting the new crescent moon (source)(click to reveal)

Some countries, such as Turkey, use astronomical calculations instead, which is one reason the start can differ by a day. The same applies at the other end of the month: Eid al-Fitr begins when the next crescent is seen (source), so employers in non-Muslim countries often can't confirm the day off until the night before.

18The Islamic calendar is lunar, so Ramadan moves through the Gregorian year. Roughly how many years does it take for Ramadan to cycle through all four seasons?Use in quizUse

Answer:About 33 years (source)(click to reveal)

The Islamic year is 354 or 355 days long, so Ramadan starts about 11 days earlier each year.

19In Arctic towns where the sun doesn't set in summer, what are the usual options for timing the fast?Use in quizUse

Answer:Follow the timings of the nearest place with a normal day and night, or follow Mecca's timings (source)(click to reveal)

Muslims in Iqaluit in Canada, for instance, have followed Ottawa's times, while a mosque in Tromsø in Norway chose Mecca's.

Tips for running a Ramadan round

Accept any sensible spelling. Arabic words reach English in several transliterations, so suhoor and suhur, fanous and fanoos, mesaharati and musaharati are all the same answer. Mark on whether the team knows the word, not whether they've spelled it like the answer sheet.

Allow for variation in practice. Traditions differ between countries and between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims. For Q8, "the 27th" on its own deserves the point, and so does "the 23rd". For Q19, either option is a full answer.

Pitch it for a mixed room. The warm-up works for everyone. The harder round is where people who observe Ramadan, or grew up around it, will shine. Keep the questions factual and avoid asking anyone to explain or defend a religious belief.

Think about timing if you're hosting during Ramadan. If your quiz night falls in the month, players who are fasting will be breaking their fast at sunset, so a start time that clashes with iftar can keep them away. Starting a little later, or making sure there's food on the night, is an easy courtesy.

Tiebreaker. Ask: "According to Pew Research Center, roughly how many Muslims were there worldwide in 2020?" The answer is about 2.0 billion (source). Closest guess wins.

If you're building a year of festival rounds, our Diwali quiz questions and Passover quiz questions follow the same format.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to start around 8 February. The quiz calendar has that date, Eid, and every other festival of the year in one place.