Eid al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr, literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," marks the conclusion of Ramadan's month-long dawn-to-sunset fast and the beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal. It is one of the two major canonical festivals of Islam, instituted by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the second year of the Hijra in Medina to replace the pre-Islamic Arab festivals of Nawruz and Mihrajan. The day begins with the obligatory payment of Zakat al-Fitr — a measured donation of staple food per family member made before the Eid prayer — ensuring that even the poorest can participate in the celebration. Eid is a public holiday in most Muslim-majority nations and an officially recognized holiday in dozens of others.

The morning starts with a ritual ghusl bath, the donning of new or finest clothes, and a light breakfast — traditionally an odd number of dates, in keeping with Prophetic example — before the congregational Eid prayer at an open prayer ground (musalla) or large mosque. The two-rakat Salat al-Eid features additional takbirs and a sermon (khutbah). Greetings of "Eid Mubarak" or "Eid Sa'id" are exchanged with hugs, while children receive Eidi — gifts of cash or sweets — from elders. Lavish family feasts feature regional specialties: ma'amoul cookies in the Levant, sheer khurma vermicelli pudding across South Asia, lapis legit layered cake in Indonesia, kahk shortbread in Egypt, and tagine lamb across North Africa. Visits to extended family and the graves of departed loved ones are common throughout the day.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, the festival is known as Hari Raya Idul Fitri or Hari Raya Aidilfitri and centers on mudik or balik kampung — the mass return to one's hometown. Saudi Arabian Eid features festivals at heritage venues and traditional ardah sword dances. Egyptian children fly kites and ride decorated horses through neighborhood streets. Turkish Eid, called Ramazan Bayramı, includes formal visits to elders to kiss their right hand and place it to one's forehead. In the United States and the United Kingdom, large public Eid celebrations have grown at venues such as Trafalgar Square and Texas's AT&T Stadium, signaling the festival's global reach.