Is the Muslim Eid like Christmas?
Like Christmas, Eid is a time of major celebration. There are two Eids or festivals a year. However, unlike Christmas, their timing in the solar calendar is not fixed, since they are held in accordance with the lunar calendar, which is 11 days shorter than the solar one. Also unlike Christmas, the festivals are not based on celebrating a birth, but on the completion of two different acts of worship: Ramadan and Hajj. Eid-ul Fitr is the Festival of Breaking the Fast. It marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims around the world. The other Eid, Eid-ul-Adha, marks the end of Hajj two months later. Muslims celebrate both Eids by dressing in their best clothes and attending the mosque for a short congregational prayer. Immediately after prayer, Muslims exchange Eid greetings and embrace each other with hugs, before visiting homes of relatives and friends, giving and sharing food, and thanking God for all they have been given. Children are delighted to receive presents of cl
