Eid al-Fitr 2025

Eid al-Fitr
March 29th marks the start of Eid al-Fitr! Sometimes called "Little Eid," it translates to "Festival of Breaking Fast."  However, the date varies yearly because the Islamic calendar is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. Celebrated by over a billion people annually, Eid is an ancient celebration that traces back to 624 CE, in this context, CE stands for "Common Era". Because of the rich history of Eid, there's a lot to learn. 
 
Here's a brief overview of one of the oldest celebrations in the world.
 

Why is Eid Popular?

Eid's popularity is because it marks the end of Ramadan, a holy month where practicing Muslims fast between sunrise and sundown. In addition to fasting, Muslims also abstain from smoking and drinking anything, even water. Ramadan represents a chance to develop spiritual discipline, gain a deeper understanding of religious texts, and celebrate the day that the Qur'an, the main Muslim religious text, was given to the world. 
 
Eid al-Fitr, which begins when Ramadan ends and lasts four days, is the culmination of the aforementioned celebration in which Muslims give gifts, feast, and engage with their families and communities. 
 

Are There Other Types of Eid?

Eid translates to "Festival" in English. With that in mind, there are many types of Eid, and the reason that Eid al-Fitr is referred to as "Little Eid" is because of a different holiday called Eid al-Adha or Festival of Sacrifice, an end-of-year celebration commemorating a religious event. Eid al-Adha is considered the "Greater Eid." Beyond this distinction is the saying "Eid Mubarak," which translates to "Blessed Festival". It's the Arabic version of "Happy Holidays." Some Muslims also celebrate Eid al-Ghadir and Eid Al-Mubahala. These festivals celebrate the appointment of a religious leader and an Islamic victory, respectively. 
 

What Are Some Traditions During Eid?

Here are a few of the most prominent ways to celebrate Eid al-Fitr
 

Feasting

Considering that Eid al-Fitr is a celebration to mark the end of fasting, it's no surprise that feasting is a big part of the holiday! It's worth noting that Islam is the second most popular religion in the world, with well over a billion followers. That means it spans multiple cultures and regions, and as such, the food varies greatly. That said, a few of the most traditional Eid al-Fitr dishes include;
  • Sheer Khurma: A sweet and spicy dessert pudding made from fruits, cardamom, saffron, and spiced milk. 
  • Cambaabur: A bread-based dessert sprinkled with sugar and served with a yogurt topping. (Yes, please!)
  • Doro Wat: A chicken or beef stew often made to serve a large group of people. 
  • Biryani: A dish of rice, meat, and veggies. It's considered the most popular dish in many parts of the Muslim world. 
  • Mugalgal: Mugalgal is a meat dish with onions, mushrooms, and covered in sauce. 
     

Gift Giving

Gift-giving is a big part of the holiday. Curious what the best Eid gifts are? A few of the most popular include;
 
Eidyah: Eidyah, sometimes called Eidi, is the act of gifting children money. It's one of the oldest Eid gift giving traditions and is traced back to the tenth century where kids were given money, food, and clothes in celebration. Bonus fact about Eidyah, it translates to "Eid gifts" 
 
Ornate Qur'ans: Qur'ans are the primary Muslim religious texts, so it makes sense they'd be the perfect gift for their religious holidays. Typically, ones given in celebration of Eid have ornate covers and pages. In addition to Qu'rans, prayer mats may be gifted as well.
 
Gold Jewelry: Typically gifted between partners and friends, gold represents wealth and financial prosperity in the Muslim world. 
 
 

Internal Reflection 

Muslims use both Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr as a chance to pray and engage in spiritual reflection. This takes the form of admitting and asking forgiveness for perceived sins and shortcomings. It also symbolizes a renewal of faith and the choice to continue on one's religious journey.
 

Building Community

Ramadan, and by extension, Eid al-Fitr, is a chance to build community and deepen relationships with family and friends. In fact, it's not uncommon for Muslim communities to gather together for prayer during Eid al-Fitr.
 

Can non-Muslims Celebrate Eid?

Celebrating Eid al-Fitr is encouraged even if you're not Muslim! One of the best ways to show your support for Eid al-Fitr is by greeting Eid celebrators by saying "Eid Mubarak," the Arabic version of happy holidays. 
 

How is Eid Pronounced?

Curious about the correct pronunciation of Eid al-Fitr? The correct way to pronounce Eid is "Ah-eed" in Arabic or "Eed" in English. Fun fact, Arabic is a semitic language which is a form of language that's almost as old as Latin. It encompasses Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, and many others. 
 

The Takeaway

Eid al-Fitr is one of many community-centered holidays worldwide and a great reason to come together in honor of unity and service to others. These are a few principles that we, as a community organization, hold dearly. We're proud to shine a light on one of the most important and oldest holidays in world history. With that in mind, Eid Muburak!