What is Eid al-Fitr?

Eid al-Fitr — Arabic for "Festival of Breaking the Fast" — is one of the two major Islamic holidays. It marks the end of Ramadan, the sacred month during which Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. The celebration begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon, signalling the start of the month of Shawwal, and the date therefore shifts approximately 11 days earlier each Gregorian year.

The day begins with a special congregational prayer (Salat al-Eid) performed in mosques or open fields. Muslims are also required to pay Zakat al-Fitr — a charitable donation of food or its monetary equivalent — to the poor before the prayer, ensuring that those in need can also celebrate. The holiday is traditionally accompanied by new clothes, festive foods, visits to family and friends, and the exchange of gifts.

Eid al-Fitr is a public holiday lasting one to three days in most Muslim-majority countries. In many nations with large Muslim minorities it is also recognised as a public holiday or a day of permissive absence. The celebration is known by different names in different regions: Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia and Indonesia, Korité in Senegal, and Ramazan Bayramı in Turkey.