MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The holy month of Ramadan begins tonight, and for many Muslim children, it's a time to learn about celebrating their faith, spiritual growth and a sacred challenge.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Muslim kids typically begin fasting all day for Ramadan around the time they hit puberty. But some can't wait to get started. Take 8 1/2-year-old Dunya Esfahani in Michigan.
DUNYA ESFAHANI: I feel like fasting is really fun to do 'cause it makes me feel closer to God. I want to also be like my parents.
MARTIN: Dunya's mom is Maryam Jelvani. She says this is the first year Dunya plans to fast from dawn to sunset for the entire month.
MARYAM JELVANI: It's a big deal. It's a big step. We've decorated around the house. We just had an inflatable Ramadan Mubarak sign delivered to the house.
MARTÍNEZ: The Jelvanis live in Dearborn, which is home to the biggest population of Arab Americans in the U.S. Jelvani's friend and fellow parent, Nawal Alsaeed, grew up in Dearborn. She says kids there who don't fast during Ramadan can feel a little excluded.
NAWAL ALSAEED: You're at elementary school. Like 99% of the kids are also fasting. Sometimes, if you're not fasting, you're like, well, I feel a little left out. I want to be a part of this.
MARTIN: Alsaeed's eldest is 13, and she says he is used to fasting for the whole day. Her younger kids, age 11 and 9, are eager to join him, but she's trying not to rush it.
ALSAEED: I'm like, OK, let's aim for half-day fasts. If you can push it past a half-day fast, that's fine, too.
MARTÍNEZ: After sunset each evening, Alsaeed's family plans to break their fast with chewy dates and jallab, a drink made with date syrup, rosewater and nuts. After that...
ALSAEED: They are just like, bring on all the Arabic sweets - the kunafa, the osmalieh, the shaabiyat.
MARTIN: Eight-and-a-half-year-old Dunya Esfahani says she looks forward to breaking her fast with her mom's lasagna, or maybe a guilty pleasure or two.
DUNYA: There's a few other foods, not that healthy that I want, like mac and cheese and stuff like that.
MARTÍNEZ: When it comes to the safety of fasting for kids, pediatricians have mixed opinions. Some say they shouldn't, especially before puberty. Others say it's fine, as long as they don't overexert themselves, and they eat healthy food and hydrate when the sun is down.
MARTIN: So for those of all ages who celebrate, however you do it, Ramadan Mubarak.
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