Ramadan comes to a joyous end with Eid al-Fitr festival
June 15 marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan this year. It's celebrated with Eid al-Fitr, the "feast of breaking of the fast," which is one of the highest holidays for millions of Muslims across the world.
The end of fasting
During Ramadan, religious Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Eid al-Fitr is the three-day festival that marks the end of this holy month of fasting. It begins on the first day of Shawwal, the month following Ramadan and is also known as Sugar Feast. These cookies might give you an idea why!
Sweet Festival
As part of the celebration traditional sweets and candies are shared with family and friends. These vendors in Peshawar, Pakistan, were prepared for the crowds shortly before Eid al-Fitr in 2016.
End-of-Ramadan sale
The days before Eid al-Fitr are among the busiest shopping days of the year. In some predominantly Muslim countries, shoe and clothing vendors offer special sales toward the end of Ramadan. Other traditions are less consumerist: the Zakat-ul-Fitr is money given to the poor in an obligatory act of charity during the festival.
Mass exodus
Since Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with family, many Muslims return to their home towns for the festival, like these men and women in Indonesia. The exodus, with thousands of people en route to see mom and dad, leads to transport problems and accidents every year.
Looking your best
In preparation for special prayer, or Salat, that Muslims attend on the first morning of Eid al-Fitr, they ritually cleanse themselves. Everyone puts on their best clothes and some women decorate their hands and feet with henna.
Early prayer
The prayer in the early hours of the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the Salat al Eid, is a celebrated occasion, and one of the most important components of the whole festival. To pray, Muslims gather in a mosque, like here in Istanbul, or in an open gathering place.
Creative locations
The open prayer locations range from designated Eidgah, or places where Eid prayers are held on the outskirts of town, to more mundane sites. These Muslims in the northern German city of Hamburg prayed in a gym during Eid al-Fitr in 2016.
Time for family
After the prayer, Muslims visit with family members or friends, host a feast in their own home or celebrate together with many others at community centers. What kind of traditional dishes are served varies from country to country, but in many places, children will get small Eid gifts or money.