Eid al-Fitr, which means “festival of breaking the fast”, marks the end of a month-long abstinence from consuming liquids and food, as well as smoking and partaking in sexual activity, from sunrise to sunset. Even as Muslims in Singapore celebrated Hari Raya yesterday, the mood was tinged with a sombre note, with some residents at a community event expressing sadness over the wave of terrorist attacks, most recently in Medina and Dhaka.
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He said that Muslim-Americans “have been part of our American family since its founding” and said that at Eid “we recommit to protecting Muslim Americans against bigotry and xenophobia, while celebrating the contributions of Muslim Americans around the country”. In the United States, most Muslims gather together in large convention halls or Islamic centers to pray the Salat al-Eid, which is a special prayer reserved for the holiday.
As the group of men, women and children socialized for the Eid Ul Fitr holiday, they also reflected on a particularly deadly week overseas, the last of the Ramadan. Time zones can also impact when Eid al-Fitr starts.
In New York, Muslims marked the end of the holy month with street prayers and a party in Brooklyn.
Muslims greet each other with “Eid Mubarak” meaning “blessed celebration” following the prayer, though the language can vary across the world.
The former Davao City mayor underscored the significance of Eid al-Fitr, coming just days after he took his oath as the 16th president of the mostly Christian Philippines.
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However, a year ago the New York City school district became the largest in the nation to recognize the day as a holiday on the official school calendar.
