Muslims celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan
Also called the “Festival of Breaking Fast,” Muslim families mark the day with early morning prayer, sharing breakfast, exchanging gifts and participating in fun activities for children.
To celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, on June 4, 2019, Abid Siddiq, center, hugs one of his his fellow worshipers at the end of morning prayer at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia that signals the end of Ramadan.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Muslims around the world are celebrating the end of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting and prayer that concludes Tuesday with the Eid al-Fitr, one of the most important days of the Islamic calendar.
It is also called the “Festival of Breaking Fast.” Muslim families mark the day with early morning prayer, sharing breakfast, exchanging gifts, and activities for children. Mosques throughout the region are hosting joint observances in parks and community centers.
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Thousands are expected at Philadelphia Eid in the Park, where eight mosques are hosting a celebration outside the Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park. The Muslim Youth Center in Northeast Philadelphia is expecting more than 700 at its event, which will include prayer, breakfast, and games for children.
To celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, on June 4, 2019, Abid Siddiq, center, hugs one of his his fellow worshipers at the end of morning prayer at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia that signals the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important holidays in Islam.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
On the holy holiday of Eid al-Fitr, a capacity crowd of celebrants pray at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia to signal the end of the holy month of Ramadan, on June 4, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
On the holy holiday of Eid al-Fitr, celebrants hug each other at the end of the morning prayer, signaling the end of the holy month of Ramadan, at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia on June 4, 2019. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important holidays in Islam.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Celebrants of the holy festival of Eid al-Fitr make their way down the line of food that was laid out at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia. They were filling their plates to celebrate Eid al-Fitr which means "festival of breaking the fast" and marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, on June 4, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Shahida Perreen, center, and Khadija Ola, left, stand in the food line at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia on June 4, 2019, to break their fast and celebrate the Eid al-Fitr, which signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important holidays in Islam.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Hamza Wasim, 3, watches intently as his grandfather fills his plate with fruit, as those that gathered at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia on June 4, 2019, celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, that signals the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Not being able to find an open table, Ayman Ahsan, right, kneels on the ground and feeds her daughter, Maryam Ahmad, left, as they celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia on June 4, 2019. The Eid al-Fitr, which celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramadan, is one of the two most important holidays in Islam.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Asmaa Zeidieh talks on her phone showing off her henna tattoo that she got to celebrate the holy festival of Eid al-Fitr, that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The celebration was held at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia on June 4, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Ahmad Ahsan, center, helps pass out soft serve ice cream at the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia to celebrate the festival of Eid al-Fitr, that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan, on June 4, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
Dr. Imtiaz Chaudhry, right, a member of the executive committee of the Muslim Youth Center of Philadelphia, receives a hug from a fellow celebrant after the morning prayer on the holy holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan, on June 4, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer
On Sunday, Muslim women gathered in Kensington to prepare for the holiday at an event called Eid Suite. Guests shopped for clothing and other items, broke the fast together with a lasagna dinner, and sat with a Henna artist who painted designs on their hands.
The event was founded six years ago by Maymunnah Harris to provide a platform for Muslim-owned businesses and foster a sense of sisterhood.
“It’s about unity and a good vibe,” said Harris, who owns the Maison de Chic hair salon in North Philadelphia. “And for the non-Muslims that come, we want them to be able to see the beauty that is in Islam.”
