Friday 13 / September / 2024
Eid al-Fitr, or the Feast of Breaking the Fast, comes after a month of fasting between dawn and sunset. This year it will be celebrated on May 1 or 2 in many countries, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Many Muslims, as here in Istanbul, have been flocking to markets to prepare for the festival.
Eid al-Fitr is also an occasion to splurge. Many worshippers buy and wear new clothes and jewelry during the festival. The spending spree is critical for many local businesses.
After a month of fasting every day, it's little surprise that Eid largely centers on food. In some places, lavish spreads are typically on offer.
Cookies filled with dates, mixed nuts or a mix of honey and sesame seeds are another quintessential Eid delicacy across the Middle East. Baking the cookies, which are called kakh, is a key social activity, with many families gathering to make and decorate the cookies ahead of Eid.
Another Eid favorite is qatayef, a pancake with sweet cream and nuts and doused in syrup.
One of the key elements of Eid is the concept of Zakat al-Fitr, which obliges Muslims who can afford it to make a donation in cash or food to allow the less fortunate to celebrate Eid.
Eid al-Fitr is the busiest holiday in Indonesia. An estimated 85 million Indonesians are heading out to the provinces this year — on ferries, by train, on motorbikes and by airplane, providing a fillip to the transport sector. This year, with COVID-19 cases down and most restrictions on movement scrapped, authorities have reinstated the weeklong Eid holiday.
