The holy month of Ramadan ends with the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday. Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on Wednesday in various Muslim countries around the world with family reunions, wearing new clothes, eating sweets and praying Eid prayers. The leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have congratulated the leaders of Muslim countries on the occasion of Eid.
Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on Wednesday in many countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Turkey, Indonesia and Australia. Bangladesh and India will celebrate Eid on Thursday.
In Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, about three-quarters of the country’s people have returned to their homes. Locally this return home is called ‘Mudik’. People always rejoice at this homecoming.
Jakarta-based Indonesian civil servant Ridho Alfian is traveling to Lumpung province on the southern island of Sumatra. He said, Mudik is not just an annual custom or tradition for us. This is the right time for reconciliation. It is like restocking the energy that has been lost by being away from home for almost a year.
Before the start of Eid-ul-Fitr holiday, people thronged the bazaars and markets to buy new clothes, shoes, biscuits and sweets. People from big cities have returned to villages to spend holidays with their loved ones. There was a shortage of tickets on the flights. Anxious relatives stand in long queues at bus and train stations carrying gift boxes.
Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest religious festival in Saudi Arabia. A public holiday has been declared to celebrate the day. Two major congregations were held in Makkah and Madinah, the country’s two largest cities. The congregations are held in the Grand Mosque of Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.
On the occasion of Eid, according to the custom of the country, food and gifts are being given at home. Saudi King Salman congratulated the Saudis and billions of Muslims around the world on Eid.
Celebrations have started after the Eid prayers in various cities of the United Arab Emirates. Everyone is exchanging hugs and Eid greetings. The country’s President, Vice President congratulated Muslim Ummah on Eid.
Authorities have deployed 100,000 police and paramilitary personnel in mosques and markets in Pakistan. The people of the country have always marketed on Tuesday. Women bought bangles, ornaments and clothes for themselves and their children.
Indonesia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the trade volume during the Eid holiday this year could reach 10 billion dollars. These include wholesale, transit and tourism sectors.
For mother-of-two Arini Dewi, Eid is a relief from the financial stress of Ramadan. He said, I am happy to celebrate the Eid holiday despite the increase in food prices.
Among Jakarta residents, former Vice President Jusuf Kalla offered Eid prayers in the courtyard of Al Azhar Mosque. He said, let’s celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr as a day of victory over many hardships. Of course there were many social problems during the holy month of Ramadan. But we can overcome it with faith and piety.
The night before Eid, Jakarta residents celebrate as ‘Takbiran’. As part of the celebration, they set off firecrackers in the streets. Most of the roads are then empty as the urban dwellers move to the villages.
Muslims joined Eid prayers in mosques and Eidgahs on Wednesday morning. Pilgrims flocked to Jakarta’s Istiklal Grand Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia.
Gimli Ashiddiqi, chair of the advisory board of the Mosque Council of Indonesia, said it is time for Muslims and non-Muslims to show humanitarian solidarity, because the conflict in Gaza is not a religious war, but a humanitarian problem. Sources: AP, Gulf News, Khaleej Times.
