Ramadan 101: What is Eid?
As Ramadan comes to a close, that means it's time to celebrate Eid. If you're not familiar with Islamic holidays, you may have heard of Eid, but there are two holidays referred to by the word, so it can be confusing. Here are the basics.
Eid al-Fitr
What is it?
Eid al-Fitr means “festival of breaking the fast” and is, as it sounds, the celebration of the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. The Islamic calendar is based on the cycle of the moon, and fasting is observed during the entirety of the Islamic month called Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is therefore celebrated on the first day of the next month, called Shawwal.
When is it?
Because the date is based on the lunar cycle, the date of Eid varies from year to year and from country to country. The celebration itself can last for a day or even multiple days in some places. In the U.S. this year, Eid is expected to begin the night of May 23rd and end the night of May 24th.
How is it celebrated?
Eid is a time of joy and celebration. It's a time of communal prayer, enjoying friends and family, exchanging gifts, charitable giving, wearing new clothes, and of course eating lots of delicious (halal, of course) food!
"Eid Mubarak" (meaning "blessed Eid") is the usual greeting.
Eid al-Adha
What is it?
Widely considered the holier of the two Eid celebrations, Eid al-Adha is the festival of sacrifice, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son at God’s command and, ultimately, God’s provision of a ram to be sacrificed instead. Christians will be familiar with the story from Genesis 22, though while in the biblical story Abraham sacrifices his son Isaac, the Islamic account is that Abraham sacrifices Ishmael.
Eid al-Adha also marks the end of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that most Muslims are required to make at least once in their lifetime.
When is it?
Again, the date of this festival varies from year to year based on the lunar cycle, but this year in the U.S. Eid al-Adha is expected to be observed from the evening of July 30th through the evening of July 31st, 2020.
How is it celebrated?
The day is marked with the sacrifice of a sheep or other animal traditionally (or with the purchase of meat from a local butcher or grocery store) and the sharing of the meat with neighbors, family members, and the poor. Feasts are enjoyed, congregational prayers are performed, the best clothes are worn, and gifts are given.
Like on Eid al-Fitr, you can wish your Muslim friends “Eid Mubarak” on this day too.
