Fasting is the main tradition observed during the month of Ramadan. During the daylight, Muslims refrain from food and drink while going about their normal activities. Before dawn they eat light breakfast called suhur, and at sunset they break their fast with a special meal called iftar that traditionally consists of just a few dates and water. Finally, after performing the sunset prayers, the
family sits down to eat dinner, the first substantial amount of food they’ve had for the entire day. However, not everyone is expected to fast. Young children, pregnant women, the sick, and the elderly are all exempt from taking part in fasting.

Although forgoing food and water for an entire month seems counterintuitive, fasting has many spiritual meanings for Muslims. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, is considered the holiest month of the year for Muslims because it is believed that the Holy Quran (the central religious text of Islam) was sent down from heaven as a guidance for all. Therefore, Muslims fast
during Ramadan as a form of spiritual discipline, bringing themselves closer to God, as well as empathizing with the less fortunate. Since Ramadan is a time for charity, mosques also hold food drives and or fundraisers for the less fortunate. During Ramadan, Muslims gather for five daily prayers to God. In addition to these, they also gather in mosques for a special nightly prayer
called Taraweeh, in which the Quran is recited.

This year, Ramadan begins on February 28 and ends on March 29. After Ramadan ends, Muslims celebrate with a day of festivities, known as Eid al-Fitr. During Eid, children traditionally receive many gifts, including new clothes or money from parents and relatives. On the morning of Eid, a special prayer and sermon is held, followed by a large community celebration. Families spend the day socializing, reuniting with old acquaintances, not to mention eating. Though Ramadan is the month of fasting, Eid is the day of celebrations and eating. Many different types of dishes are served during the community gathering, ending the month with a huge feast.

 After a long day, many often look forward to the delicious and traditional Pakistani dish chaat: a dish that consists of a mix of chickpeas, tangy tomatoes, onions, and tamarind, and a variety of spices to add flavor. It’s nourishing, full of protein, warm, just a little spicy, and really hits the spot when you’re hungry. 

Ingredients:  
1 tablespoon of ghee (clarified butter)  
4 cans of chickpeas (drain out preservatives before using)   
1 can of tomato sauce  
2 raw tomatoes, diced  
2 green chilies, diced  
10 fresh curry leaves  
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped  
1 chopped onion  
1 ½ teaspoon turmeric  
1 teaspoon red chili powder  
1 ½ teaspoon salt  
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin powder  
1 ½ garam masala powder  
¼ cup tamarind paste, dissolved in water  
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped  
½ onion, finely chopped  
2 green chilies, chopped   

Instructions:  
1.Take a medium sized pot or deep frying pan and let it sit over a medium-heat
flame.  
2. Add in the ghee and let it simmer for 30 seconds.  
3. Add in the onions and curry leaves, and let simmer for three to four minutes.  
4. Add raw tomatoes and fresh garlic, and stir for two minutes.  
5. Add all the spices.  
6. Sautee everything for one minute.  
7. Add tomato sauce and chickpeas, stirring until evenly mixed with the sauce.  
8. Close the lid and let it simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the chickpeas are soft and the sauce is darker.  
9. Garnish with fresh cilantro, onions, and green chilies.  

Ramadan recipe: chickpea chaat

### "A Christmas Story" - Suroor Menai

“A Christmas Story,” directed by
Juha Wuolijoki in 2007, is a perfect
family movie for the holidays. Filmed in
Finland, this movie incorporates some
of Finland’s holiday
traditions, setting itself
apart from traditional
American Christmas
movies.

The film tells the
story of a boy named
Nikolas, who was
orphaned when he was
young. A village took
him in, and each year
on Christmas day, he
moved to a different
family’s house in the
community. The movie
follows his childhood as
he eventually becomes
Santa Claus.

The plot of the movie
intertwines feelings
of sadness and hope,
which was one of the
things I loved about it.
For instance, Nikolas’
sister, Aada, died along with their parents.
Later in the movie, a character is named
after her, symbolizing her importance in
Nikolas’s happy ending and reminding
him of her absence. The ups and downs
throughout the entire movie made it
unpredictable, which
I find to be one of the
key aspects in any good
movie.

I also really
appreciated the
character development
in the movie’s key
figures, because it gives
the movie structure
and really draws the
viewer into the movie.
One such figure was
a character named
Isaac, who was initially
portrayed as mean and
bitter, but developed
with each passing
scene, and began
showing more of his
true personality, which
was much less hostile.

This is a fantastic
entertaining holiday
movie to watch with friends and family,
while also being captivating and meaningful.

### "Santa & Cie" - Maeve Walsh

 “Santa & Cie,” directed by Alain Chabat,
is a French film released in 2017 about
Santa’s journey through the real world in
hopes of curing his elves of a mysterious
disease. Landing in
France, Santa is desperate
to find a remedy for his
elves and get back to
the North Pole in time
for Christmas. As time
is running out, Santa is
arrested after ransacking
a pharmacy. His lawyer,
Thomas, soon realizes
Santa’s true identity and
allows Santa to stay at
his family’s apartment
as he helps him acquire
the cure for the elves.
Thomas and his family
must now work together
to get enough medicine
before Christmas Eve.

Throughout Santa’s
adventure in the beautiful city of Paris,
he sees people’s stress around the holiday
season. Considering the elves’ sickness is
the only problem he’s faced in hundreds of
years, Santa is confused when he sees that
Thomas and his wife Amélie have to deal
with many challenges. Especially around
the holidays, it appears that everyone is
in a hurry, socializing becomes tiresome,
basic chores seem impossible to get
done, and people are often
short on money. All these
difficulties portrayed in
the film are accurate
depictions of what many
people experience during
the holiday season.

Even though there
is a deeper meaning
to the plot, there are
also many lighthearted
moments throughout the
film. Amusingly, Santa
is quite the comedian,
constantly teasing his
reindeer and making witty
comments to Thomas and
Amélie, who reciprocate
Santa’s sense of humor.
Combined with fantastic
visual effects, the storyline
is entertaining and makes for a great family
movie that would appeal to all. Although
I had to read the English subtitles, I think
this will become a seasonal classic for my
family and me.

Around the world in winter: international holiday films 

### Pakoras

By Suroor Menai

Total time: 30 minutes; prep time: 10 minutes; cook time: 20 minutes;

Growing up, Thanksgiving had always been the
holiday when my aunts and uncles gathered at
my grandmother’s house here in New Jersey. My
cousins and I would look forward to the many
delicious Pakistani dishes we would get to eat over
the long weekend. Last year, however, we hosted
Thanksgiving at my house. Because of this, my mom,
aunts, and uncles made all the food instead, and put
their own spin on the meal. For example, instead
of the traditional pakoras made with potatoes, my
mom decided to use spinach and onions and fry
them in a lighter batter instead. The pakoras with
this new twist were a big hit, so at my house, we’ve
been making pakoras that way ever since.

**Ingredients**

Any neutral vegetable oil to fill up to about ¾ of a
deep frying container;
2 cups gram (besan) flour;
1 cup of warm water (add more as needed for
batter consistency);
½ tsp baking powder;
2 tsp salt;
1 ½ tsp turmeric;
½ tsp red chili pepper (or add to taste);
1 tsp cumin powder;
1 tsp coriander powder;
3 cups of spinach, chopped into thin strips;
3 onions, thinly sliced.

**Instructions**

Put the oil in a frying pan and heat it on low heat while preparing the batter.
Add the gram flour to a large mixing bowl. Slowly add the warm water, mixing as you add, until it has the
consistency of pancake batter. Try to remove bubbles or clumps from the batter as you mix.
Add the baking powder, salt, turmeric, red chili pepper, cumin powder, and coriander powder into the batter.
Add the spinach and onions to the batter and mix well so that they are evenly coated by the batter. It is best
to mix with your hands, but you can also use a spatula or big spoon.
Using a large tablespoon or serving spoon, scoop dollops of batter into the hot pan (make sure the oil is
sizzling before you place the batter in).
Wait for the fritters to get golden brown and crispy, then flip and continue to fry for another minute or two.
Remove the fritters from the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon, and store in a container lined with paper
towels to drain any excess oil.
Repeat steps five and six until you use up all the batter.
Serve hot with your favorite chutney or dipping sauce.

### Sweet potato black bean salad

By Aarna Dharmavarpu

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, there’s
nothing better than a hearty, comforting side dish
to add to your seasonal feast. This sweet potato
and black bean pasta salad is the perfect recipe to
embrace this holiday’s flavors. With its vibrant
combination of roasted sweet potatoes, black beans,
and the satisfying crunch of corn, this pasta salad
offers a warm, earthy base that is balanced by the
tangy dressing. For me, it’s a go-to side dish that’s
become a holiday favorite — a comforting reminder
of this season’s warmth and the joy of sharing meals
with loved ones.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes; prep time: 25 minutes; cook time: 40 minutes.

**Ingredients**

PASTA SALAD:
½ pound of pasta;
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into;
1 inch cubes;
½ cup black beans, drained and rinsed;
½ cup fresh corn;
⅓ cup minced red onion;
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro;
½ cup shredded cheese (can be any cheese);
2 tbsp olive oil;
1 tsp kosher salt;
1 tsp black pepper.

SALAD DRESSING:
2 ½ chipotle peppers in adobo;
1 ½ tsp adobo sauce;
1 clove of garlic;
½ tsp dried oregano;
Ground cumin to taste;
1 tbsp honey;
3 tbsp rice vinegar;
¼ cup olive oil,

**Instructions**

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the sweet potato with olive oil, black pepper, and kosher
salt, then lay the sweet potato cubes evenly on a baking tray. Roast the sweet potato in the oven for 20 minutes,
or until they are brown and tender.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about ten minutes, or until al dente. Drain the pasta and set it
aside to cool.
In a small bowl, prepare the salad dressing by mixing together the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic,
oregano, cumin, honey, rice vinegar, and olive oil, until a smooth consistency is achieved. Season with kosher
salt and black pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, black beans, corn, sweet potato, red onion, cilantro, and olive
oil. Season with additional kosher salt and black pepper if desired. Then, stir in the cheese, plate, and enjoy!

Let's dish this out: two Thanksgiving sides to add to your feast

 Sebastian Bongiovi ’25 has always been surrounded by music. He fell in love with
the trumpet in second grade, and grew up with several accomplished musicians in his
family, including his father, Joseph Bongiovi, who is the longstanding band director
at PHS, and his mother, who is a vocalist. His passion for music and it’s presence in
his family’s story has played an outsized role in Bongiovi’s life, such as his decision to
follow in the footsteps of his father and sister to apply to the Berklee College of Music
where he hopes to study composition. Now a senior at PHS and about to embark on
his next musical adventure, Sebastian plays trumpet for the highly selective Studio
Band, sings for PHS Choir, and is a vocalist in the a cappella group Around 8. He acts
in numerous school plays and composes music for video games and web series. Most
recently, he composed a song called “Be Sorry” for Studio Band’s Abbey Road Studios
album “Run It Twice.”

**What made you choose the trumpet?**

 That’s actually a funny story. In second grade, I had
to choose an instrument, and I had my heart set on
trombone, but I was a really tiny kid, and my dad
was aware of that, so he told me to take trumpet
and change from there, and I just never [ended up
changing] to trombone.

**When did you start acting and what do you love
most about it?**

 The first time I started legitimately acting was in fifth
grade. The thing I love most about it is being able to
portray different personalities that I wouldn’t really
act like in real life. Unlike other aspects of art that I
do, I don’t really take it as seriously, which is better
for me, because it makes it more lighthearted and fun.

**How does acting, singing, and playing an instrument
all connect for you artistically?**

 I feel much more attuned to playing than anything
else, but I need to give credit where credit is due.
Singing is like the bridge between acting and playing
for me. It’s the only medium where you use both.

**Can you talk about the experience of recording at Abbey Road Studios and what
that meant to you?**

It was absolutely ludicrous in the moment, and it still is now. The overall experience
was extremely validating. Being able to play in that room was a very grueling process,
like when you’re physically there and you’re working, it’s a lot more stressful than you
realize. We had to record ten hours straight for three days. Specifically recording my
song, in the heat of the moment it was absolutely insane, especially with Randy Brecker,
who was the guest artist we had there. He is someone whose music I’ve been listening
to for a very long time, so having an artist who is a part of your daily life being in front
of you and then also playing your music that you wrote and asking you questions about
your song was baffling a bit. It was an amazing experience.

**What is your process when composing music?**

 For me, usually what happens is I’ll be messing around
with the piano, and I’ll come up with a random chord
progression, and it’ll be a lot of me experimenting.
Going into my room, being like, “Okay, let’s make
something out of this,” and spending however many
hours just fiddling.

**Are you planning on pursuing a career in music, and
if you are, what type?**

 Definitely. My goal is to apply to three to four different
schools for some form of either composition or a
contemporary writing and production major, the latter
of which is offered at Berklee College of Music, which
is my top college of choice and the only college I’ve
applied early admission to.

**What advice would you give to new musicians or
artists?**

 Give yourself time. More often than not, I’ll be working
on a song and I get stuck and have no idea where to go,
so I just go to bed, and then I wake up the next morning
and I have an idea. Being able to give yourself space and
time is invaluable to creating music.

The Tower

Suroor Menai's Work

The Tower