This year, Eid is today on June 15th, and the Muslim community is already busy celebrating.
Ramadan, which saw Muslims partake in food and drink only twice a day after daybreak and sunset, has now finished.The month of fasting and introspection culminates in a huge celebration each year named Eid.
Eid has Muslims make up for the small amount of food with huge feasts and gatherings at local mosques and open spaces.
Eid falls on a different day each year due to the Islamic calendar functioning on a lunar cycle, compared to the Gregorian calendar’s solar cycle.
Eid in the Park is happening in major UK cities, involving fun fairs and food stalls to enjoy in the sunshine.
The celebration begins tonight when the moon rises and then happens all day on Friday 15 June.
So where is the daytime park party happening, and when do the events start?
Well there are plenty of events going on around the UK, usually beginning with prayers, though attendees are encouraged to arrive early.
When is Eid al-Fitr in the UK and the rest of the world?
Muslims across the globe will celebrate Eid al-Fitr today, as they follow the date set by the UAE.
The official date of Eid has been announced as Friday, June 15 and this will be the date followed by UK Muslims.
However, in Pakistan, Eid will be on Saturday, June 16, after the moon was not seen anywhere in the country on Thursday, so Ramadan will go on until sunset on Friday.
The Eid al-Fitr moon has been sighted in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and other parts of the Middle East so the festival will be celebrated on Friday.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei announced in a statement late on Thursday that Friday would be Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
It is not possible to predict the date of Eid al-Fitr according to the Gregorian calendar as the Islamic months are determined by the lunar cycle.
The month of Shawwal begins after the month of Ramadan and after a confirmed sighting of the new moon.
What is Eid al-Fitr?
Eid al-Fitr is the religious holiday which marks the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting for Muslims.
The holiday celebrates the conclusion of the 29 or 30 days of dawn-to-sunset fasting during the entire month of Ramadan.Eid Mubarak is a greeting and phrase used by Muslims during Eid and means ‘blessed Eid’.
Eid al-Fitr is held at the start of the following month, which is called Shawwall and translates to mean the ‘festival of breaking the fast’.In Muslim countries, it is common for the capitals to decorate their cities with lights and commemorate the end of the holy month.
Children are dressed in new clothes and offered gifts and money to celebrate the occasion.Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – known as Sawm.The five pillars are the five obligations every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life according to Islam.
What does Eid Mubarak mean?
Eid al-Fitr is among the two biggest festivals in Islam and is a celebration for Muslims who have spent the last month fasting during daylight hours.Muslims gather together to pray, eat lavish food and exchange gifts on this special day.
Eid Mubarak is the traditional phrase Muslims use when greeting each other on Eid.The phrase translates to mean “blessed Eid”.
Eid means “celebration” and “mubarak” means blessed.
How do Muslims celebrate Eid?
Muslims will celebrate the end of their fasting period with a lot of food.
Traditionally, Eid Al Fitr is known as ‘sweet Eid’ as a large variety of sweet foods and confectionary are eaten.
The later festival, Eid Ul Adha, is known as ‘salty Eid’ due to the wider variety of salty foods.
Muslims traditionally greet each other with the phrase “Eid Mubarak”, which wishes a blessed Eid.
Where can you celebrate Eid this year?
Beginning with a prayer and breakfast, Eid sees Muslims gather and celebrate together with food and fun, and parks are favoured for this.
Eid in the park is one much-anticipated event for Muslims breaking fast.The countrywide event sees local parks ready for the festival with food, prayer, and stalls.Festivities usually last just for the one day, but some continue for more.
Eid’s biggest celebration in Europe is held in the UK with Birmingham’s Small Heath Park expected to attract hundreds of thousands of revellers.
Eid in the park UK locations
Birmingham
Birmingham’s big celebration will begin on Friday 15 June at 9.30am with a prayer.
It’s happening at Small Heath Park, Coventry Road, and there will be more fun activities to get involved in than you can shake a stick at.
Glasgow
A little later than Eid but still unmissable, Glasgow’s Eid in the Park is taking place on Sunday 17 June.
It’s being held at Maxwell Park off Maxwell Road between midday and 7pm.
London
The town of Ilford, east London, is playing host to an Eid in the Park on Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17.
It’s in Goodmayes Park off Green Lane, beginning with a 10am prayer. Find out more here.
Also in Ilford, Muslims from Redbridge Islamic Centre are gathering in Valentines Park from 8.30am onwards.
Then in west London, Southall Park is the location of another park celebration on the same days.The park is located on Green Drive and there’s a beach theme.
Manchester
The Mancunian celebrations will take place in Platt Fields Park, Rusholme on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 June.
There will then be a single prayer with an English Khutbah at 9am, and shortly thereafter at 11am the gates will be opened. Funfair rides (£10 for three hours) and stalls await inside.
Then on June 23 and 24, the ‘biggest Eid festival in the north’ will be coming to the Old Trafford Football Stadium once again, costing adults £2 and children £1.
Bristol
Bristolians will be pleased to know there’s a park gathering at Netham Park playing fields, Avonvale road.
It starts with a 9.30am prayer and will happen on both Friday 15 and Saturday 16 June.
More info here.
Other places
- The first ever Middlesborough Eid celebrations, taking place for an hour in the morning, will happen in Albert Park from 9.30am-10.30am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Brighton and Hove Afghan Community is hosting an Eid party in Stanmer Park on June 27 from midday onwards.
- Luton’s Wardown Park (from 2pm all weekend) and Stockwood Park (from 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday) are going to host special Eid celebrations again.
- Peterborough’s park event is happening from 9.30am on Friday 15 June at Peterborough Central Park.
- Bedford’s Addison Howard Park on Bedford Road is the location of an Eid celebration on Sunday from midday to 7pm.
What is Eid al-Adha?
Eid al-Adha is on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month in the Islamic calendar.
It is at this time in the Islamic calendar that Muslims from around the world travel to Mecca – the holy city – for pilgrimage.
Muslims should carry out the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime if it is possible.
Eid al-Adha is expected to take place on Tuesday, August 21, however it is not confirmed until the sighting of the moon.
Eid 2018, Eid-ul-Fitr Moon Sighting LIVE updates
June 15: The crescent of the Shawwal moon to be sighted in India today.
08:37 pm: Eid in India on June 16th
The crescent of the moon is not sighted in India today. Hence, Eid ul-Fitr will not be celebrated on June 15 in India but people all across India will ring into the festival on June 16 and in Maharashtra on June 16 or 17.
08:31 pm: Saturday Eid for New Zealand and Australia
Australia and New Zealand will celebrate the holy festival of Eid ul-Fitr on Saturday as the crescent of the moon was not sighted today.
Australia announced that Eid-ul-Fitar will be on 16th June on Saturday. There is no moon in their skies today. That also confirms the chances of Eid in Pakistan will be on 16th Saturday @pid_gov @RadioPakistan pic.twitter.com/nrfxYD3nLp
— Free Media-Free Election 2018 (@MrSaleemMalik) June 14, 2018
08:28 pm: Ei ul-Fitr moon sighted in Singapore and Malaysia
The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Malaysia has announced that the Eid celebrations will start tomorrow. Malaysia, along with Indonesia, will also observe Eid on Friday i.e. June 15th.
08:09 pm: Dubai has announced holiday for schools
Schools across Dubai will close from Thursday for the Eid Al Fitr holiday.
You can sleep late on Thursday and Sunday
Because school’s closed – it’s the #Eid holiday!
Have a great time however you choose
But remember to keep checking the news
To find out whether there’s school on Monday 😃— KHDA (@KHDA) June 12, 2018
07:56 pm: Moon sighted in Qatar and Abu Dhabi
The crescent of the moon has been sighted in Doha, signalling the celebration of Eid-al-Fitr tomorrow. As per Khaleej Times, the moon has been spotted in Abu Dhabi. However, the official statement is yet to be made.
07:54 pm: Eid moon to be sighted in Manama 40 minutes after sunset.
According to the International Astronomical Centre (IAC), Eid moon will be sighted in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, in 40 minutes after sunset.
07:44 pm: Turkey will celebrate Eid on Friday
Hurriyet Daily reported that Turkey will celebrate the Islamic holiday of Eid Ul-Fitr starting on June 15 until June 17, marking the end of 30 days of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan,
07:32 pm: Cresent of the Shawwal Moon is finally seen in UAE
The crescent of the Shawwal moon has risen in Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, the UAE’s International Astronomy Center announced on Thursday. According to Khaeej Times, the final decision will be taken when the moon-sighting committee in the UAE, which will meet only after Maghrib prayer, announces its decision.
Eid Al Fitr moon sighted in UAE: Astronomy centerhttps://t.co/G8DYU2wFsT pic.twitter.com/pshsn1Cpg3
— Khaleej Times (@khaleejtimes) June 14, 2018
07: 15 pm: Eid will most probably be celebrated in Kerala tomorrow. Due to the geographical location of the coastal state, the lunar moon is sighted in Kerela a day before the rest of the nation.
07:00 pm: Pakistan: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (CRHC) is meeting in Karachi this evening to sight the crescent for the month of Shawwal, which marks the end of fasting month of Ramazan. According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, it is unlikely that the Shawal moon will be sighted on Thursday.
“There are fewer chances of the Eid moon being sighted today,” the Met Office said while stating that chances are higher of Eid-ul -Fitr being celebrated on Saturday, June 16 across Pakistan.
