Eid ul-Fitr 2014: A Celebration At The End Of Ramadan

[hrmjustin]

Huffington Post

One of the most joyous days in the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Fitr, also known as Eid ul-Fitr or Eid, is a celebration that marks the end of Ramadan (a holy month of fasting observed by Muslims).

This year Eid ul-Fitr will most likely be observed on Monday, July 28, 2014, in the United States. It is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Traditionally, the observance begins with the sighting of the new moon. While many will wait to see the moon or an announcement from Mecca, the Fiqh Council of North America has determined that Eid al-Fitr 2014 will fall on July 28 based on astronomical calculations.

According to a hadith attributed to Anas ibn Malik, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, the two festivals of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha were instituted by the Prophet after his journey from Mecca to Medinah.

“When the Prophet arrived in Medinah, he found people celebrated two specific days in which they used to entertain themselves with recreation and merriment. He asked them about the nature of these festivities to which they replied that these days were occasions of fun and recreation. At this, the Prophet remarked that the Almighty has fixed two days [of festivity] instead of these for you which are better than these: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/27/eid-ul-fitr-2014_n_5605544.html

[hrmjustin]

1. Gaza violence casts a pall on Eid celebrations

Rachel Delia Benaim

JERUSALEM (RNS) In Beit ‘Anan, a small Arab village in the West Bank, Haya Dawod, and her extended family sit around a large round table in her parents’ dining room for the celebratory Eid meal.

Monday (July 28) marked the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday that concludes the monthlong fast of Ramadan. Eid is usually a time of celebration — three days of celebration, to be exact.

But this year, the holiday mood in the Palestinian territories is distinctly less joyous and it shows in the Dawod’s buffet. The spread included roasted lamb, “maamoul,” a sweet flaky dessert filled with honey and nuts, and “fawakih,” a fruit platter with grapes, apples, and mangos.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/07/28/usually-time-joy-eid-casts-pall-west-bank/