Turkey is somewhat secular and not everyone observes Ramadan. Some people half-observe it, abstaining from food but not water, or alcohol but not cigarettes. But in the Kurdish southeast, most people observe, and sometimes you have no choice but to go along. When I stayed with this family (a couple of other travelers were staying with them too), I learned why many people actually gain weight during Ramadan. At about 3:30 in the morning, drummers come through town, beating on a huge drum loud enough to wake everyone up. That’s so that people can prepare and eat breakfast in time to finish 30 minutes before sunrise. This meal is pretty big, right at a time when you are not hungry. Then at 6pm, just as the sun sets, comes the real feast. Any group of people you happen to walk by will invite you over for food. People really stuff themselves, and snack on sweets throughout the evening. Then in the middle of the night it’s time to wake up and eat again.