As America feasted on Father's Day barbecues, Muslim dads had extra incentive to look forward to Sunday's splurging, if a little late: breaking the first fasts of Ramadan, which began Thursday, June 18.

The holy month is more than skipping food and drink from dawn to dusk (and perhaps rising in the wee hours to squeeze in some breakfast). It marks the time when the Qur'an was revealed by god to Muhammad, during the ninth month of Islam's lunar calendar. If you get confused about the timing, that's because it moves even more than the Chinese New Year (also based on a lunar calendar). Because the moon's cycle is 29 or 30 days, each year Ramadan begins about 11 days earlier on the Western calendar. So it can fall anywhere between summer, when fasts are longer with the sun's lingering presence, and winter, when fasts are blessedly shorter.

Why fast at all? As with other religions, including denominations of Christianity and Judaism, fasting represents sacrifice, compassion, and inner reflection. More than its physical abstention, fasting is meant to encourage greater understanding of those who suffer or are less privileged, to curb desire and purify the spirit, to refocus the spirit beyond oneself and increase generosity - all designed to bring the observer closer to god. Muslims who fast during Ramadan are also supposed to refrain from smoking, marital relations, and foul language, as well as gossip and other common human weaknesses. Success requires both patience and endurance, encouraging personal reflection and spiritual growth.

While fasting this month is required as one of the five pillars of Islam (the other four are declaration of faith, daily prayers, alms/charity, and the pilgrimage to Mecca in Israel), naturally some are exempted. Those very young, old, ill, pregnant, or breastfeeding - and anyone for whom fasting poses a health risk - need not participate. Those travelling are also exempted if fasting poses practical difficulty. Those who do not fast and are able can participate by feeding the needy instead.

That sharing is reminiscent of Ramadan's other focus: Community. After sunset, Muslims invite neighbors or friends to share a hearty evening meal. So while daytime during holy month is about refraining and reflection, Muslims carry on normal daily activities and are quite social in the evenings.

Short periods of fasting, carefully controlled, can have health benefits. During fasting the body uses stored glucose and starts to burn fat. Purging the body of built-up toxins, losing excess weight, and refocusing what we take in is sometimes beneficial regardless of religious motivation. Controlled fasting with proper nutrition can also lead to higher levels of endorphins, which boost mood by increasing alertness and a feeling of well-being.

But just skipping food without addressing nutrition is risky. Fast too long or fail to replace what's needed and the body loses essential nutrients. So health experts advise keeping well hydrated with water (as opposed to alcohol or caffeine), along with balanced proportions of carbohydrates, healthy fats (e.g., fish or almonds rather than sausage or cake), vegetables, and proteins. The trick is not to overcompensate with the wrong things when meals are taken.

Back to Ramadan, the celebration culminates in the last 10 days with the "Laylat al-Qadr" - Arabic for the night of power. While the date varies a bit by country, Muslims believe that's when the first verses were revealed to Muhammad. There is a movement to unify the date, if not the exact hour. Islam's holy texts include scholarly interpretations (which is why there is wide disagreement among Muslims regarding what they believe or how they practice and interpret the faith); some Muslim scholars have called for worldwide unity in Ramadan's timing, by setting it at the moon's schedule in Mecca.

So how about places with summer light extremes, such as Alaska, Iceland, or Finland? As a columnist in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper pointed out, in some places the sun is up as long as 22 hours or doesn't set at all. Just follow Mecca's more reasonable schedule, said Norwegian Muslim scholars in a fatwa (a religious ruling). Or pick another part of this country's timing and just go with that, said America's Assembly of Muslim Jurists. God understands.

And how does Ramadan end? With the first day of a new month called "Shawwal" in Arabic, and Eid-al-Fitr, the festival of breaking fast. It's forbidden to fast on Eid (pronounced "aid"), so it's a big feast day and holiday. Starting the day with a small, but very sweet, breakfast, Muslims give charity then congregate for prayers. Many give gifts to loved ones, wear new or special clothes, and gather for large family meals and celebrations. Sounds familiar.

So if you know or meet a Muslim, what is the proper greeting? "Ramadan kareem," which means a generous Ramadan, or "Ramadan mubarak" (moo-BAH-rahk), happy Ramadan to the world's two billion, and America's seven million, Muslim brothers and sisters.

May your month be replete with blessings and wisdom.

Sholeh Patrick, J.D. is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at Sholeh@cdapress.com.