Eid Al Fitr is the most important celebration for Muslims all over the world, and this year’s festivities kicks off on June 5th. However, the rituals begin a month before, with the start of Ramadan.
What is Ramadan?
This holy month is a time for reflection, forgiveness and family. These three elements form the backbone of this occasion, which begins from May 5th, and lasts for 30 days. During Ramadan, Muslims practice fasting for large parts of the day. Resulting in altered eating and drinking times across the Gulf, along with the reduction of work hours to allow Muslims to head home and break fast with their family and friends.
Celebrating Eid Al Fitr 2019
Eid marks the end of the Ramadan month. On this day, Muslims often wear new clothes and head to the mosque, early in the morning. Next, families travel to visit each of their loved ones and celebrate the day together. Gift and cards are also exchanged among family and friends.
However, the highlight of the day is undoubtedly the spread of food. Some of the most popular dishes include maqluba and mugalgal. The former consists of fried vegetables, a choice of meat (usually red) and rice, cooked together in a pot, which is then flipped upside down to resemble a large savory cake. Meanwhile, the latter is made up of lamb, stir fried with spices, vegetables, and plenty of tomatoes.
The best of Ramadan and Eid in the Middle East
Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr are centered around the concept of giving back to the community. This ensures everyone has the opportunity to celebrate this occasion. Therefore, many organizations are jumping on-board and taking the initiative to carry out charity work.
The Ramadan Sharing Fridges is a great example of such efforts. Organized in Dubai by the Emirates Red Crescent, this initiative sees the community placing extra refrigerators outside their homes for public usage. Since its inception in 2016, this movement has gathered over 25,000 members in its Facebook group. Three years on, and this initiative still proves to be a massive success, as each fridge now feeds an estimated 100 people on a daily basis.
Interested to know more about Eid? Read up on how Hari Raya is celebrated over in Southeast Asia. Last but not the least, from everyone here at 123RF, Ramadan Kareem and Eid Mubarak guys!