Rochester Public Schools hold Ramadan Iftar celebration

(ABC 6 News) – Students from Century, Mayo and John-Marshalls high schools came together Saturday for the observance of Iftar.

Widely considered one of the holiest months in the Muslim culture, Ramadan can be a time of fasting, prayer and community.

Saturday’s event hosted by the Rochester Public Schools’ Muslim Students Association and Rochester STEM Academy and held at Mayo High School, had Muslim students from across the Rochester area celebrating the month-long fast with traditional foods and activities.

Organizers of the event say it can be important for young students to be apart of the celebrations, in order to gain necessary leadership development skills.

“It’s a great way for us to connect communities, the whole point we have Iftar here tonight is to encourage our young students to develop leadership, and this is the way for that to happen,” said Yahye Ahmed, Event Organizer.

A key portion of the event: the food.

Traditional foods are often the focal point of any Iftar celebration, along with family, friends and fun.

One student says, when it comes to Muslim culture, learning more about Ramadan is a great place to start.

“It’s really important to let the people who are going to participate in Ramadan, to know what goes on and get a feel for what the holiday is really [about],” said student Amina Abdullahi.