Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate Eid amid Coronavirus fears

NEW DELHI: As we approach the end of Ramadan, the Eid al-fitr celebrations will be taking place this weekend. Yet Eid is going to look and feel very different this year.

Eid al-fitr follows weeks of fasting and marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is full of rituals and traditions that involve the entire family, putting on new clothes and attending prayers, followed by a rich breakfast of roasted vermicelli (sawaiyan), sweet halwa and channa curry. The feast continues with an elaborate lunch with chicken biryani, haleem, fried fish, lamb chops and kebabs.

Muslims around the world celebrate the festival and wish each other a very happy ‘Eid Mubarak’. While the actual date really depends on the sighting of the moon, this year, it is believed that the festival will begin on May 23 and continue till May 24. Eid falls on the first day of the month of ‘Shawwal’. On that day Muslims do not need to fast.

It should be noted that Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar and not the Gregorian calendar. For a whole month, Muslims around the world fast, which is called Roza, and offer prayers while practising self-discipline. They do charitable acts like feeding the poor and giving them alms. Eid is a joyous occasion wherein families and friends get together to celebrate the day. Upon the sighting of the moon, they wish each other ‘Eid Mubarak’ and exchange hugs and gifts.

However, this year, the usual lavish celebrations of huge family parties and meals will be largely banned as authorities seek to prevent new outbreaks of the killer Coronavirus.

Some countries, including Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, will impose round-the-clock curfews for the duration of the holiday.

Pictures from earlier this month showed the central courtyard of the Great Mosque of Mecca deserted as Muslims were forced to celebrate Ramadan in isolation amid the unprecedented lockdown measures. The courtyard is usually at its busiest during Hajj but remains open all year round for other pilgrimages meaning it is almost never empty.

India’s 172 million Muslims are also preparing for a subdued holiday, with large gatherings banned.

Eid-ul-fitr will be celebrated in the country on May 25 as the moon could not be sighted on Saturday, Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid Ahmed Shah Bukhari said.