Rabat – Muslims in Germany will celebrate Eid Al Fitr 2023 on Friday April 21, according to a statement from the country’s president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“This weekend, Muslim families, friends and neighbours will come together across our country to share in a celebratory meal as they mark the end of the month of fasting,” the statement said.
“The festival that marks the end of Ramadan is one of the largest religious festivals in our country,” the president added. “I am pleased that many communities are once again inviting the public to join them in the breaking of the fast this year.”
The official date of the holiday has been confirmed around the world as various groups and authorities observed the new month’s crescent moon.
The exact date of the Eid is determined after the crescent moon is sighted towards the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Eid Al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, and is one of the major religious holidays in the Islamic calendar. It also marks the end of the mandatory fast that Muslims observe.
Muslims usually start the day by going to open air temporary prayer halls, where a special Eid prayer is held and followed by a religious sermon known as the “khutba.”
Eid Al Fitr is also characterized by the spirit of giving, with Muslims obligated to give a set amount of money every year to benefit underprivileged groups in their country, in what is called Zakat Al Fitr.
Many families also celebrated the end of the mandatory fast with impressive breakfasts with traditional foods. Eid Al Fitr is called the “Sugar Festival” in some countries for this reason.
Another Eid tradition revolves around gift-buying, with many children receiving money, clothes, or toys for the occasion.
