Muslims have been and praying for a month. They went without food or drink from sunup to sundown. It was all for the holy month of Ramadan. For many Muslims, that month ended at sundown on April 20. People celebrated with a holiday called Eid al-Fitr!
Eid al-Fitr means “festival of breaking the fast.” The holiday starts at different times around the world, depending on the Moon. Once it gets rolling, the exciting time can last for three days.
Muslims go from fasting to feasting for Eid al-Fitr! They come together to eat, pray, and give thanks. Some cities hold big festivals. Kids play with colorful balloons. Older family members may give gifts or money to children. People wear new clothes and eat sweet treats. They often use a colored dye called henna to put designs on their skin.
There were Eid celebrations all over the world. Huge groups came together for prayers. There were crowds inside and outside . People met in parks in Italy and England. They filled a wide street in Cairo, Egypt, and a World Cup soccer stadium in Doha, Qatar. In Indonesia, Muslims prayed at beaches and riversides.
Many leaders shared messages for Eid al-Fitr. King Salman of Saudi Arabia wished all countries “security, peace, and .” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada shared a message too. “Eid is a time for faith,” he said. “A time for traditions and community. And a time for joy and happiness.”
U.S. President Joe Biden honored Muslim Americans. “They are in labs and on factory floors, working to create cutting-edge technologies,” he said. “They are artists and caregivers, adding to the beautiful of our nation. They are teachers and firefighters and community members.”
Biden and Trudeau both ended with a phrase that means “blessed Eid.” They said, “Eid Mubarak!”
Updated April 21, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
