By Abdulwasiu Hassan
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is normally a period to support needy people, but among young lovers in northern Nigeria, it is also a time for men to extend generosity to their suitors.
Typically a man fills a basket with groceries and offers it to his suitor for use to break her fast during the month.
The gesture is meant to strengthen the bond between young lovers and also a sign of how caring the prospective husband would be once married
“If we have been together throughout the whole year, and when you are supposed to give me Ramadan Basket, (why) will you not give me?” Fatima Baba Dahiru, a maiden in northern Nigeria tells TRT Afrika.
Economic crisis
“Honestly, Ramadan Basket is a must in a relationship,” she opines with a tinge of finality.
But as Nigeria grapples with the worst economic crisis in decades, which has seen food prices rise by manifold, many have questioned whether young men should prioritise fending for their elderly parents over their suitors.
Fatima thinks the two priorities are compatible before and even after marriage.
“One is not saying you shouldn’t do something for your parents. Parents are different. You are even supposed to be helping your parents regularly,” she says.
“But a girlfriend herself has a different status. She is not supposed to be abandoned when it comes to Ramadan Basket,” Fatima adds.
For Fatima, Ramadan Basket does not just bring her joy, it enhances the love for her suitor.
“When I get Ramadan Basket, I feel very happy because it feels very good wherever and whenever it is offered. If Ramadan Basket is offered, it is a thing of joy. I feel happy while opening it. Ramadan Basket adds to love,” she says.
'Feel disappointed'
On the other hand, if she doesn’t get the gift, she would feel somehow disappointed, she says.
“If I am not given, I would feel disappointed. I am supposed to be given,” she explains.
Though, Sauda, another maiden, would like being gifted a Ramadan basket, she said she would not be unhappy if she didn't get it.
“I will be happy if I am given, but if I am not given, I will not be unhappy because I wasn’t expecting it from the beginning,” Sauda tells TRT Afrika.
“I do not have a way of forcing someone to get me a Ramadan Basket. And parents are worth more than basket. Their gift will have to be made differently and it has to be much in accordance with the blessing God has bestowed on one,'' she says.
Hamza Umar Saleh, a bachelor says he prepared ahead of Ramadan to deliver a Ramadan Basket to his wife-to-be.
“When I give out Ramadan basket, I honestly feel happy a lot because you know doing good in love and to the person you do it to, the person you love and who loves you feels good a lot and you will be very happy,” he told TRT Afrika.
However, Hamza believes it shouldn't be seen as a mandatory practice and that it should be done only ''if one can afford it.''
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