Aziz has fond memories of this time. When this young man (who chose to remain anonymous, like the others mentioned by their first names) was 15 in Paris, Ramadan coincided with summer for several years running, forcing him to spend long days without eating or drinking. Now 25 years old and a student at the prestigious HEC business school, Aziz describes it as "a wonderful time." He spoke of long afternoons spent with other Muslim schoolchildren, playing football with dry throats until the sun went down. "It was a collective moment, where we all lived and felt the same thing, one of the best times of my life," he said. Ten years on, the month of Ramadan, due to begin this year on Monday, March 11, remains a crucial spiritual time for him.

Many young Muslims in France share this sentiment, sometimes far more than their elders. While robust numerical data is lacking, researchers agree that Ramadan is most diligently observed among those under 25. This tendency wanes as age increases.

Tarik Yildiz, a sociologist, sees this in his work on the ground. According to Yildiz, there is a particular enthusiasm among Muslim youth for this pillar of Islam. "There is this common notion, this impression of a more visible practice of religion. This notion holds true to some extent," he said. The researcher clearly sees that young people no longer think twice about openly embracing and declaring their religious practice.

This was not necessarily so obvious to their elders. "Ramadan has become a strong marker of belonging to a religion, to a community one is proud to be a part of," said Yildiz, who added, "Not doing it is like denying where we come from. What we were." This is particularly the case for younger people in certain working-class neighborhoods, where many Muslims from immigrant backgrounds live.

According to a senior educational adviser in a suburban Parisian middle school, when you're a teenager, everything is a performance within the group. Ramadan lends itself to this. She explained that the young people challenge and tease each other, gauging their resistance to a practice that can be difficult for some people. They talk about it, she said, in the same way as they might talk about the One Piece manga series, which is a big hit with this generation. It's an important part of their culture, among others.

Ramadan often comes with an increased interest in religious matters. "We read the Quran translated into French. We have books on the history of Islam that we read more at this time of year, books that our parents bought us when we were young," said 16-year-old Youcef, a high school student in Colombes, west of Paris. He said he started before the required age (between 12 and 15), to imitate his parents.

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