Muslims across the world will be marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan by celebrating Eid al-Fitr on 2 May.
After Ramadan, the month of fasting, it’s time to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. The sighting of the crescent moon (hilal) on the 29th day of Ramadan marks the beginning of Eid al-Fitr and the end of the month of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr means to break the fast, and for all the Muslims who have observed the fast, Eid al-Fitr is the occasion of triumph, happiness, joy and celebration.
Early morning on the Eid day, all Muslims take a bath and have a breakfast of dates and sweets. All of them wear new clothes on this occasion and visit the mosque (masjid) to worship Allah. A special Eid al-Fitr prayer ceremony is conducted in open areas. All the Muslims recite Takbir (it is usually translated as “God is [the] Greatest,” or “God is Great”) before the prayers, which start from the time when the crescent moon is sighted until the prayers are said.
Muslims engage in Zakat al-Fitr, which is charity given to the poor at the end of the fasting in the holy month of Ramadan. This is supervised at the mosque to start the Eid prayer and will be utilised in the best possible manner. Zakat al-Fitr can be in the form of money or edibles such as dates, wheat, barley and raisins, and so forth.
Eid prayer is followed by the Khutbah, which is the primary formal occasion for public preaching in the Islamic tradition and, finally, Dua. Muslims regard Dua as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslims from all over connect with God and ask him for forgiveness and favours.
Afterwards, it is customary to embrace the people sitting on either side of you and all those who are near and dear to you.
Eid is the time for celebrations and all Muslims celebrate this occasion in their own way. Women decorate and clean their houses, dress themselves beautifully and apply henna (mehndi) on their hands.
The women also cook delicious food on the Eid day, as there is a get-together at their houses. Children enjoy the celebration the most as they receive gifts and love from all the relatives. Muslims greet and wish each other Eid Mubarak, which means Happy Eid.
.
www.theeid.com and Wikipedia
