Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr, often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning “festivity”, while Fiṭr means “to break the fast”. The holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated starting on the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal (the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar). Muslims are commanded by the Qur’an to complete their fastings on the last day of Ramadan and then recite the Takbir (a proclamation of the greatness of Allah) all throughout the period of Eid.
Eid ul-Fitr is a three day celebration and is sometimes also known as the “Smaller Eid” as compared to the Eid ul-Adha that lasts four days and is called the “Greater Eid”. Because the day depends on the sighting of the moon or scientific calculations of the Lunar Calendar, the exact date (in the Gregorian calendar) varies from country to country. However regardless, of the actual calendar date, Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the lunar month of Shawal.
To all our muslim brothers and sisters, EĪd mubārak (blessed Eid).
