Saudi Arabia says Eid al-Fitr starts on Friday
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Muslims performing evening prayers at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on April 20, during the holy month of Ramadan.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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RIYADH – Saudi Arabia announced that the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, would begin on Friday in the kingdom.
On Thursday, citing a royal court statement, the official Saudi Press Agency said on its Twitter account that “tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr for this year”, with Thursday the last day of Ramadan.
The timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.
The holiday is normally celebrated with family gatherings.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
It is also a time of prayers, with the faithful converging in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.
Fasting is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Mecca and Medina.
Saudis are expected to observe a four-day holiday for Eid al-Fitr. AFP
