34 Fun Facts About Eid Al-Fitr

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of which Islamic month?

Ramadan was set for fasting because, the Quran says, it is the month in which the Quran was revealed, so whoever is present in it must fast.

On the first day of which Islamic month does Eid al-Fitr fall?

Shawwal is the tenth Islamic month, and a hadith in Sahih Muslim promises that adding six fasts in it earns the reward of fasting a whole year.

What must be sighted for Eid al-Fitr to begin?

The crescent moon must be seen after the 29th day of the month; if clouds or a bright sky hide it, the month runs to 30 days and Eid starts a day later.

Where did the Prophet usually lead the Eid congregation?

Open ground: he went out to it on both Eids and even ordered women and girls to come out and share the gathering.

How does the Eid sermon differ from the Friday sermon?

It comes after the prayer, not before: the Prophet would pray first, then stand facing the seated rows to preach, and dispatch an expedition then if he wished.

What obligatory charity must be paid to the poor before the Eid prayer?

Zakat al-Fitr is paid before the prayer so that people in need have food to celebrate Eid too.

The charity due before the Eid prayer is one sa' of food per person; what is a sa'?

Four double handfuls make one sa', and a guardian pays that measure on behalf of each child who has no wealth of their own.

What special greeting do Muslims exchange on Eid?

Eid Mubarak usually comes with a formal embrace, the way friends and relatives greet each other on the day.

What phrase is recited repeatedly on the way to the Eid prayer?

Allahu Akbar answers the Quran's call to complete the fast and proclaim God's greatness, a verse several scholars tie to the Eid chant.

Eid al-Fitr is widely known by which nickname?

Sweet Eid or the Sugar Feast nods to the desserts that fill the festive table once a month of daytime fasting is over.

When is the special Eid al-Fitr prayer held?

On the morning of Eid day, and worshippers are encouraged to walk there early and come home by a different route, following the Prophet's practice.

Is fasting permitted on the day of Eid al-Fitr?

No, it is forbidden: Eid is a day for eating, and Muslims are advised to eat something before setting out for the prayer.

What is the night before Eid called in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan?

Chaand Raat is a shopping night: markets and barbershops stay busy until shortly before dawn as families buy last-minute clothes and bangles.

What is Eidi?

Cash gifts given to children are Eidi, and families hunt for crisp new banknotes beforehand.

Sheer khurma, a traditional South Asian Eid dessert, is made from what?

Vermicelli, milk, dried fruit and dates go into sheer khurma, Persian for 'milk and dates', and families make big batches to share with visiting friends and relatives.

What is the popular name for Eid al-Fitr in Indonesia?

Lebaran feasts feature ketupat, rice cakes whose place in Java's Eid customs is traditionally credited to the Muslim saint Sunan Kalijaga.

What is mudik, the great Indonesian tradition in the days before Eid?

A homecoming exodus to family towns, mudik empties Greater Jakarta and jams Java's highways, so officials lay on extra transport and road checks.

Ketupat, served across Indonesia and Malaysia at Eid, is rice cooked inside what?

A pouch woven from young palm leaves holds the rice, which swells as it boils into a firm cake that families make in big batches to share with guests.

In Malaysia and Brunei, Eid is Hari Raya Aidilfitri; what does Hari Raya literally mean?

Great Day is the literal meaning, and families host open houses, on the day itself or through the following month, for visitors to drop in and eat.

What are the notoriously loud meriam buluh fired in Malaysia during Eid?

Bamboo cannons are banned under Malaysia's Explosives Act 1957, yet youngsters still build them as a stand-in for commercial firecrackers, which are also banned.

By what name is Eid al-Fitr known in Senegal and much of West Africa?

Korité is a three-day national holiday in Senegal, and families usually have new outfits made for it.

In Nigeria, Eid al-Fitr is popularly known as what?

Small Sallah is when Kano's emir leads the durbar, a grand street procession of courtiers and musicians that UNESCO has added to its heritage list.

Which Egyptian treat, eaten at Eid, is believed to date back to ancient Egypt?

Kahk was once a court handout: a 10th-century Ikhshidid minister is said to have stuffed the biscuits with gold dinars.

What is Eid al-Fitr called in Morocco?

Eid es-Seghir is the Moroccan name, and families begin the day at the Eid prayer, then spend it with relatives.

Sri Lankan Muslims mark Eid with which spiced coconut-and-jaggery pudding?

Watalappam most likely came from the Malay world: it resembles the custard serikaya, brought by Malays who settled in Sri Lanka under Dutch rule.

Which two Chinese regions grant a public holiday for Eid al-Fitr to all residents regardless of religion?

Ningxia and Xinjiang can do this because China lets local governments in ethnic-minority regions set holidays for those peoples' own festivals.

Where do many Muslims in Taiwan, mostly Indonesian workers, gather to celebrate Eid?

Taipei Main Station hosts the gathering, and city agencies have run Eid events there, handing out gifts to the migrant workers who attend.

What is Eid al-Fitr called in Russia, where it is a public holiday in Tatarstan and Chechnya?

Uraza Bayram fills Moscow's mosques so full that worshippers spill out to pray in the streets around the Cathedral Mosque.

What do people create and carry through the streets in Sierra Leone's Eid procession?

Large lanterns, built in shapes such as ships, animals and people, are hauled through Freetown on wheeled frames by rival clubs and judged on their design.

Which Bollywood star is famous for Eid releases, including the 2016 wrestling drama Sultan?

Salman Khan's Sultan even broke Bollywood's Friday-release habit: its producers put it out on a Wednesday to coincide with Eid.

Which Spanish city listed Eid al-Fitr as an official public holiday for 2026?

Melilla could list Eid al-Fitr because Spain lets its regions and autonomous cities swap some national holidays for festivals of their own.

Because the Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than a solar year, what can Eid al-Fitr do?

It can fall twice in a year: in 2000, Eid came on 8 January and again on 27 December, since each Islamic year ends about 11 days sooner.

According to hadith, in which city were the two Eid festivals instituted after Muhammad's migration?

Medina's people had two days of games when Muhammad arrived; Anas ibn Malik narrated that he said God had replaced them with two better days, the two Eids.

Which Lancashire football club opened its stadium for Eid al-Fitr prayers in 2022?

Blackburn Rovers' Ewood Park hosted worshippers on rows of prayer mats, and the club shared footage of the service online.