The holy month of Ramadan comes to an end with Eid al-Fitr celebrations, but exactly when depends on where you are in the world. The exact end of Ramadan, and the start of Shawwal, the 10th month in the Islamic calendar, depends on the sighting of the crescent moon.
In the UK, a new moon is expected was visible on Thursday, April 20, but only under certain weather conditions.
Because the UK doesn't have its own official moon sighting board, the majority of UK Muslims follow Saudi Arabia's moon sighting. The committee sighted the moon on Thursday, April 20, which means that Eid falls today, Friday April 21.
Meanwhile, Australia has officially declared that Eid 2023 will fall on Saturday, April 22, along with Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Japan and the Philippines.
The lunar month of Ramadan is a period of 29 or 30 days where Muslims around the world fast from dawn to sunset. It's also a time of prayer, giving and self reflection.
Eid is marked when Ramadan comes to an end. The Eid al-Fitr feast marks the breaking of the fast, which usually involves a lavish feasts, lights, decorations and gifts.
How to wish someone a happy Eid
During Eid one of the most common greetings you will hear is Eid Mubarak!
Directly translated, this means "blessed feast" or "blessed festival", and is a popular way of expressing celebrations to family and friends.
It's polite to respond by saying Khair Mubarak, which is a way of wishing someone good will.
This can be said at the end of a fuller greeting, here are some suggestions:
"May the God Almighty open the doors of happiness for you and fulfil all your dreams. Eid Mubarak!"
"May the God Almighty show you on the right path and help you in every step of your life. Eid Mubarak!"
"May the God Almighty bless you today, tomorrow and always. Eid Mubarak!"
"May Allah gives you a million reasons to stay happy. Eid Mubarak!"
"On this special occasion of Eid, may Allah answers all your prayers. Eid Mubarak!"
You can also say to someone "Eid sa'id", which simply means "happy Eid".
Alternatively, you could say Jazak Allah Khair, which translates to "May Allah reward you with goodness".
Eid Mubarak is the most common phrasing to use in the UK, but some countries have different ways of expressing Eid wishes and greetings.
For example, in Indonesia Eid is called Lebaran, so there they would say "Selamat Lebran", which means Happy Eid.
In Turkey they would say "Mutlu Bayramlar", and in Nigeria they would say "Barka da Sallah".
In Malaysia Eid is called Hari Raya, so to wish someone a happy Eid you would say "Selamat Hari Raya".
In Bosnia, Muslims also say "Bajram Šerif mubarek olsun", which means "Blessed celebration of Bajram".
How will you be celebrating Eid? Let us know in the comment section below.
