Eid al Fitr, also known as Eid, is the festival which marks the end of Ramadan. It is a happy occasion and a day of true thanksgiving for Muslims. The day begins with giving to charity and prayers in the Mosque, and then Muslims share celebratory meals with family and friends and exchange gifts. As with the start of Ramadan, the exact date of this festival also depends on the sighting of the moon.
Why do Muslims celebrate this religious holiday?
Eid was established by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) to mark the conclusion of Ramadan. It marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, and the day serves as a reward for Muslims who observe fasts and engage in prayer.
Facts you should know
Here are a few quick facts to know about this celebration:
- If you would like to share well wishes with your colleagues you can say “Eid Mubarak”, which means “Happy Eid.”
- The holiday is expected to take place on Saturday 29th March but this may change depending on sightings of the moon.
- The holiday is celebrated by 1.9 billion people worldwide.
- Eid al Fitr is different from Eid al Adha. Eid al Adha takes place later in the year and is the second main holiday celebrated in Islam.
How to celebrate in the workplace
There are numerous ways to support people celebrating Eid al Fitr, including:
- Talking with your Muslim colleagues about how they celebrate this festival
- Booking Islam in the Workplace training to learn how to make the workplace more inclusive of our Muslim colleagues.
- Downloading our Islam factsheet to learn more about Islam and how to make the workplace inclusive to those who practice the religion.
- Share our faith, religion and belief at work podcast with your inclusion network to learn more about the experiences of your religious colleagues.