Two Eids
EID means festival in Arabic, and Muslims celebrate two each year. Eid al-Fitr, the festival of breaking the fast, comes at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting that our Ramadan page covers. Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, comes about two months later, during the pilgrimage to Mecca. It remembers the Prophet Ibrahim, known to Jews and Christians as Abraham, who Muslims believe was ready to sacrifice his son at God's command, until God provided a ram instead. Many families share meat from an animal sacrificed for the festival, often dividing it into thirds, for the family, for friends and neighbours, and for people in need.
Our Islam page covers the wider faith and the pilgrimage.
Waiting for the moon
The Islamic calendar follows the MOON, so each month begins with the first sighting of the thin new CRESCENT after the new moon. On the last evening of Ramadan, families and religious leaders look to the western sky after sunset. If the crescent is seen, Eid begins the next morning; if clouds hide it, Ramadan runs a day longer. Some communities rely on astronomical calculations instead, so neighbours can occasionally celebrate on different days.
Because the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, Eid moves through the seasons, arriving about eleven days earlier each year and passing through every season over about thirty-three years. In 2033 Eid al-Fitr will even fall twice in the same Western calendar year, once in January and again in December.
Charity before prayer
Before the Eid prayer, every Muslim who can afford it gives a small amount of food or money called Zakat al-Fitr, so that poorer families can celebrate too. ZAKAT and CHARITY are central to the day. In the morning, Muslims gather, often in large open spaces as well as mosques, reciting the TAKBIR, the words God is greatest, on the way. The prayer is followed by a SERMON, and then people greet each other with Eid MUBARAK, meaning blessed festival, and a hug.
Henna, bangles and a journey home
In South Asia, the night before Eid al-Fitr is called chaand raat, the night of the moon, when markets stay open late and girls and women buy BANGLES and have HENNA patterns painted on their hands. Children often receive money from older relatives, called Eidi, as well as GIFTS and new CLOTHES. In Turkey the festival is sometimes called the sugar festival, because of all the SWEETS, and in Egypt a glowing LANTERN is a symbol of the season. Every region has its Eid foods: in South Asia, sheer khurma, fine vermicelli cooked in milk with dates and nuts; in the Middle East, ma'amoul, little biscuits stuffed with dates or walnuts.
In Indonesia, the country with the world's largest Muslim population, tens of millions of people travel back to their home towns before Eid in a great journey called mudik, to VISIT their FAMILY. The FEAST that follows, the GREETING, the BLESSING, the JOY and the sense of COMMUNITY are the heart of the day as Muslims CELEBRATE together.