Belmore's Eid-ul-Fitr Celebrations

All about Eid-ul-Fitr

Eid ul-Fitr is a very important festival in the Islamic calendar and was started by the Prophet Muhammad himself. It is also known as 'The Feast of Breaking the Fast' and is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan. Eid ul-Fitr takes place on the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and Muslims are not permitted to fast on that day.

Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but also thanking Allah for the Qur'an, which was first revealed towards the end of Ramadan, and for the strength Allah has given them to exercise self-control throughout the previous month of fasting. If necessary, they will ask Allah for forgiveness if they failed to keep the fast at any point.

In Muslim countries, Eid-ul-Fitr is a national holiday. In the UK, Muslims may take the day off work or school to join in the celebrations. The festival is marked in the following ways:

• The festival day begins with the first sighting of the new moon at the beginning of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar.
• Muslims wear their best clothes, decorate their homes and spend time celebrating with their friends and family.
• Some Muslims may give money to the poor so that they can also enjoy the day.
• Communal celebration services are held both outdoors and in mosques, there are processions through the streets and a special celebratory meal is eaten - the first daytime meal Muslims will have had in a month.

Eid ul-Fitr is a time for families, friends and neighbours to spend time together and share food.