Detailed Information about Eid-ul-Fitr Festival & Its Importance

Eid-ul-fitr is one of the most important festivals of the Muslims that is celebrated all over the world. It is also known as the "Feast of Breaking the Fast", 'Sugar Feast', 'Sweet Festival' and 'Lesser Eid'. This festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan for the Muslims. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar where Muslims all over the world fast for whole one month where they don't eat anything from dawn to dusk. Observing this fast is considered as one of the five pillars of Islam. Besides observing this fast they also engage in increased offering of prayers. This month lasts for about 29-30 days and comes to an end with the sighting of the moon. This is when Eid-ul-fitr is celebrated to mark the end of this holy month. This festival is observed on the first day of the month of Shawwal and brings together all the Muslims of the world and binds then the bond of friendship and brotherhood. During this day the Muslims offers special prayers which is followed by special feasts and they also donate. This act of donating is called Zakat, where one needs to give away a part of their wealth to the poor and the needy. It is also one of the five pillars of Islam.

This festival is observed for one, two or sometimes even three days. People greet each other "Eid Mubarak" and this is the day when they forgive and forget all the hatred and animosities and begin a new chapter of friendship, peace and love. They wake up early in the morning before sunrise, offer their prayers, clean themselves and wear new clothes. After that they visit their friends' family and other relatives, offer greetings and food items to eat. The festive atmosphere will be drenched in camaraderie. It is a very religious festival and people observe it with great dedication to god. They abide by all his teachings, follow the instructions given to them, recite prayers from their holy book and act according to the instructions given. It is a festival of faith and belief. It brings in them a sense of commitment and their responsibility towards their fellow human beings.

This festival is observed with Great Spirit and enthusiasm. People decorate their houses, cook delicious meal and sweets, the most common of them being the sweet vermicelli also called seviyan. It is that time of the year, when the rich and poor, all come together to celebrate, forgetting all their problems. It is a time to bond, interact and accept by letting go all the past grudges. In many countries it is a national holiday like India, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and United States of America. It is one of the biggest festivals of the Islamic countries. Festivals are a great way to celebrate the existence of human kind and our relation to God, Nature and other human beings. It brings all of us together in one platform and makes us forget all our sorrows and miseries. Eid-ul-fitr is one such festival.