Eid al-Fitr: The Feast of Fast-Breaking

Eid al-Fitr is one of the two canonical Muslim festivals, the other being Eid al-Adha, observed religiously in Islam that commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of the Shawwal, the tenth month in the lunar based Islam (Hijri) Calendar.

Eid al-Fitr 2024 was on April 09 Tuesday

The New Moon of Shawwal will be visible in the evening on Thursday, April 20th, 2023, across North America only under certain conditions. However, a majority of the world should be able to sight the new Moon on the following night on Friday, April 21st, 2023, and, thus, the first day of Eid al-Fitr will be on Saturday, April 22nd, 2023. Certain countries in the Southern hemisphere, including parts of South America, Australia and New Zealand, however, might need ideal climatic conditions to see the moon on Friday night. For those countries, Eid al-Fitr will begin on Sunday, April 23rd, 2023.

The festival of Eid al-Fitr is carried out with religious observances at the break of dawn on the first day of the Shawwal month. Following prayers and ceremonial religious services that mark the end of the feast, people visit and gather with friends and family, luxuriously feast on celebratory meals, and exchange a warm embrace, Eid al-Fitr greetings, blessings and gifts with each other.

Significance of Eid al-Fitr

The two of the most important festivals observed in the Islam religion is Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. As per the source of Islamic Jurisprudence, Bulugh Al-Maram, Eid al-Fitr is the day on which people break the fast and Eid al-Adha is the day when people offer sacrifices.

One regards it essential to act along with the masses of people under the authority of a Muslim Ruler to observe Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Celebrations of the festival are subject to change at the sight of the Shawwal crescent Moon. If the testimony of the sighting of the Shawwal crescent is not accepted, they cannot break the holy fast, nor can they celebrate Eid on their own. Only if the general body of Muslims get along can they do so.

If the Moon is not sighted on the 29th day of Ramadan, but an authentic report of its sighting is received the following day from the place, then everyone should break their fast at that time. If the news is received before Zawal time (the time before sunset), the Eid prayer should be held on the same day. While if it is confirmed after Zawal time, the prayer should be held the following day.

The festival of Eid al-Fitr is also the celebration of the significance that the Holy Quran was first revealed in the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims consider Ramadan as the holy month of fasting owing to this reason, when they resort to fasting from dusk till dawn. They break this fast on the day of Eid al-Fitr, when they get together with friends and family and feast on scrumptious meals.

Celebrations of Eid al-Fitr

People get well-dressed in new clothes, visit their loved ones, shower them with gifts, gather with them and feast on Eid special meals together on Eid al-Fitr, thus celebrating friendships, love and brotherhood. They embrace each other with a warm hug and exchange pleasing words of hope, comfort, and blessings along with Eid greetings, ‘Eid Mubarak.’

Muslims refrain from eating much during the day as they indulge in the morning ceremonial rituals at mosques. Later at noon, they prepare and feast on elaborate meals. Eid special meals include traditional delicacies like kahk, kunafa, and sewayin. They side these dishes with elaborate meals of pulao, biriyani, kebabs, kofta, haleem and the like. It is customary that people should not fast on this day.

Religious Observances on Eid al-Fitr

• Devotees do not get out of their homes on the day of breaking the fast until they ate some dates (in odd numbers). They eat lightly before they attend morning communal prayers called ṣalāt.
• It is mandatory that people don’t observe fast on Eid al-Fitr.
• It is customary and agreed upon that young women and menstruating women be brought to the goodness and supplications of the Muslims, although, menstruating women must refrain from entering the actual place of prayer.
• The day begins with a prayer, and when the prayer ends, the Imam turn to the people seated in the mosque and preach to them.
• Two Rak’as (or prayers) are offered on the day of Eid.
• The Takbir that honors God saying “Allahu Akbar” in Eid al-Fitr prayer are seven in the first Rak’a and five in the second Rak’a.
• It is considered Sunnah to go to the place prayer by walking on the day of Eid al-Fitr.

Eid al-Fitr 2023 FAQs

1. How long do the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr last for, and why?

• In certain years Eid al-Fitr can last for up to Three Days.
• This is due to the fact that Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on the day when the Moon is first sighted after the Holy month of Ramadan's New Moon.
• The months in Islamic Hijri calendar start from the very next day after the New Moon and ends with the next New Moon.
• Therefore, after the Holy Month of Ramadan ends with the New Moon of the month of Shawwal, the very next day is celebrated as Eid al-Fitr if the moon is sighted.
• If under certain climatic conditions the Moon is not seen, the festival of Eid al-Fitr will be postponed to the next day, after sighting the Moon.
• Rarely comes such conditions when the Moon cannot be sighted even on the second day.
• During these times, the festival will be celebrated on the Third Day without further delay.
• It is celebrated on the third day even if the Moon is not seen as after the third day, the Moon will enter its next phase of Waxing Crescent Moon, before which Eid is to be celebrated.
• Hence, the festival of Eid-Al-Fitr is celebrated for three days in some years.

2. Has the holy month of Ramadan been observed twice in a year?

The lunar-based Hijri calendar goes around 11 days ahead of the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, both the Hijri calendar and the Gregorian calendar align in a way that the holy month of Ramadan falls twice in an English year after every 33 years. This means that devotees will observe the fast twice in a Gregorian year. The last time this circumstance happened was back in 1997. The next time when Ramadan will fall twice in a Gregorian year will be in 2030, and later in 2063.