Eid Al-Fitr

What is Eid Al-Fitr? Don´t worry Maab´s got the facts !

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan comes to an end on Wednesday, May 12th. Muslims around the world celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day holiday, Eid Al-Fitr. This year, Eid Al-Fitr begins on the evening of Wednesday, May 12. But, what exactly is this Islamic holiday?

Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.

The religious festival of Eid Al-Fitr, or the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is one of two major holidays celebrated by Muslims around the world. Eid Al-Fitr commemorates the end of the month of Ramadan, which Muslims observe every year to acknowledge the revelation of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. This holiday is all about the breaking of fasts and is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the month right after Ramadan.

An occasion for special prayers, family visits, gift-giving, and charity, Eid Al-Fitr takes place over one to three days. Muslim families all over the world prepare for Eid well in advance by decorating their homes and preparing sweet dishes. Many Muslim families gather for lunch on the first day after morning prayers. Huge quantities of all sorts of local delicacies are devoured in joyous celebration, with additional lavish banquets taking place throughout the festival.

Eid Al-Fitr is more than just breaking the fast, it’s also a time for community bonding and devoting oneself to prayer. Muslims gather at their local mosques on the first day of Eid to pray special morning prayers. They dress up in their finest attire and carry sweets to give out to children. As with Christmas in the Christian world, Eid Al-Fitr is a time when Muslims shower their loved ones with gifts. Children typically get most of the attention, although presents are liberally distributed among friends and relatives as well.

Eid Al-Fitr, as it follows the fasting of Ramadan, is also regarded as a spiritual celebration of Allah’s provision of strength and endurance. Eid Al-Fitr is a time for charity in the midst of reflection and celebration. It’s intended to be a time of joy and blessing for the entire Mulsim community, as well as a time for distributing one’s wealth. Islam places a huge value on charitable giving and empathy for the poor. All Muslims with the financial means are expected to pay Zakat Al-Fitr, a type of alms which is intended to strengthen ties within the Islamic community and foster feelings of brotherhood and love. This allows for poorer Muslim families to be included in the celebrations and encourages the wealthy to be more generous throughout the year.

In the days leading up to Eid Al-Fitr, family members work together to clean the house and decorate it with colorful lanterns and ornaments. They also go Eid shopping to buy new clothes and gifts for their families and friends. Girls typically apply henna and get their hair done, while guys tend to shave their heads.

To mark the occasion, friends and family members greet each other with “Eid Mubarak”, which translates to “Have a Blessed Eid”. Some people prefer to say “Happy Eid”, which is perfectly fine as well. Eid Mubarak everyone!