Eid-Ul-Fitr is celebrated every year to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. "Eid al-Fitr" is translated as: "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast," or "the Feast of Fast-Breaking." It is celebrated during the month of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. It is the holy month of fasting.
The month starts and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year for Muslims — the Prophet Mohammed reportedly said, "When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained." ( Photo Source: Clarion India)
Muslims believe it was during this month that Prophet Mohammad revealed the first verses of the Quran, Islam's sacred text, to Mohammed, on a night known as "The Night of Power" (or Laylat al-Qadr in Arabic). ( Photo Source: Office Holidays)
During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to dusk. They do not eat or even drink water during the fasting period. People celebrate this festival by spreading love, and food and exchanging gifts with their children and relatives. These gifts are known as Eidi.
Muslims get themselves new clothes for these festivals and females mostly apply henna to enjoy the festival. ( Photo Source: Happy Wedding App)
Muslims wake up in the morning to cleanse their bodies in a ritual called "ghusl." For uniformity in the date of the festival some Muslims celebrate Eid when the new moon appears over Mecca instead of their own locations. ( Photo Source: Arab News)
During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating any food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes, and engaging in any sexual activity, from dawn to sunset. That includes taking medication. Chewing gum is also prohibited. ( Photo Source: Edarabia)
When the evening prayer is finally made (or when the alarm on your phone's Muslim prayer app goes off), Muslims break the day's fast with a light meal — really more of a snack — called an iftar (literally "breakfast"), before performing the evening prayer. Many people also go to the mosque for the evening prayer, followed by a special prayer that is only recited during Ramadan. ( Photo Source: Newsroom Post)
The ifṭār usually begins with dates, as was the custom of Muhammad, or apricots and water or sweetened milk. There are additional prayers offered at night called the tawarīḥ prayers. ( Photo Source: Communicate Online)
Muslims get up early in the morning when the alarm goes off to have their Sehri(meal before taking up fast for the whole day).
The occasion is celebrated with all joy and cheers: children wear new clothes, women dress in white, special pastries are baked, gifts are exchanged, the graves of relatives are visited, and people gather for family meals and to pray in mosques.
