Eid al Fitr - An insight into an Islamic festival

Sunday is going to be a special day for all of our Muslim friends. It is the day of ’Eid al-Fitr’, the celebration of the successful ending of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan is the month in which all Muslims are fasting from dawn until sunset. So, fasting means no drinking and eating until sunset. It is the most important month of the year for Muslims, since it was on the ninth month when God revealed the Quran, the holy book of Islam. At this time, Muslims focus more on their religion by praying, reading and understanding the Quran. Furthermore, the purpose of fasting is to be empathic towards the misery of poor people and to value the necessities of life. Moreover, it is the time of donating money or food to poor families.

‘Eid al-Fitr’ can be translated into English as the ‘festival of the breaking of the fast’ but there are also other names for Eid-al Fitr like ‘Ramazan bayram’(Festival of Ramadan) or ‘Seker bayram’ in Turkish, which literally means ‘Sweet Festival’. This festival has not a fixed date and is set on a different day each year due to the Islamic calendar which orientates on the moon. Eid al-Fitr starts always with the sight of the new moon which marks the end of Ramadan.

The preparations for Eid need to begin a few days before the ending of Ramadan. One starts to clean and decorate one’s home. Apart from that, everybody buys new and festive clothes for Eid. However, the most enjoyable part of Eid are the variety of different delights that are baked and served. The most known delights are ‘Baklava’, ‘Lokum’ or ‘Kurabiye’. Baklava and Lokum are very sweet and satisfy as well. Lokum, also known as Turkish Delight, can have diverse flavours like rosewater, lemon, orange and is sometimes stuffed with different nuts such as walnut or pistachio. In contrast to Baklava and Lokum, kurabiye is similar to biscuit and is usually served together with coffee or tea.

The day starts with the Eid pray in mosques. After the prayer, families and friends gather together and usually have a big breakfast. People greet each other with ‘Eid Mubarak’ which means a blessed festival. On Eid everyone takes off a day at work or school as one shall celebrate and appreciate the union with everyone who celebrates Eid al-Fitr. Especially, little children enjoy the festival, as they get presents or a little amount of money from their parents or relatives. It is like an Islamic version of Christmas.

We wish all our Muslim friends Eid Mubarak and a great time together with their beloved ones!

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Peartree Languages is a language school located in Cardiff.