Holidays Around the World

Greeting:Eid Mubarak, which means "Happiness to Everyone"

Where in the World is Ramadan celebrated?
Ramadan is a holiday celebrated by families who are Muslims. They believe in a religion called Islam. Islam is the second largest religion in the world. Muslims live all over the world. The largest group of Muslims live on the continent of Asia. Many live in the United States and Europe.

What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. Each month starts when a full moon appears. It is a holiday that lasts for 30 days. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink anything during the day. This is called fasting. Muslims fast to become stronger in their faith.

Fasting
Each morning of Ramadan, families get up early. It is still dark outside. They eat their breakfast, which is called suhur. After breakfast, they pray. All day, people who are healthy fast. This means they do not eat or drink anything. But at sunset, they stop fasting and have a wonderful meal called istar.

Ramadan traditions
During Ramadan, Muslims spend a lot of time praying to God, whom they call Allah. They read the Koran which is the Muslim Holy Book. They try to be kind and cheerful to each other.

The last 10 days of Ramadan are Holy Days. Muslims spend more time praying in a building called a mosque. Sometimes they spend the entire night in the mosque. During this time, the Night of Power occurs. Muslims believe praying during the Night of Power will bring them many blessings.

The End of Ramadan
Ramadan ends when another full moon appears. At the end, there is a festival called Eid ul-Fitr. This means "Feast of Fast Breaking." It is a festival of happiness and a time of great joy. The fast of Ramadan is over.

The last week of Ramadan, Muslims get ready for Eid ul-Fitr. This is a festival that lasts three days. They send cards to friends, relatives and neighbors. Homes are decorated with flowers and banners.

Eid ul-Fitr
On the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, there are prayers of thanksgiving at the mosque. Children receive gifts of toys, clothes and candy. Families celebrate with their relatives and friends. It is a time of fun and feasting.

Families eat a mid-day meal. It's their first in a month. This meal has lamb, goat, spicy vegetables, and spicy noodles called saiwiyan. There are also lots of candy, and special cookies called kahk and oras.

Gift Giving
Before Ramadan ends, all Muslims have an important responsibility. Each family donates money to the poor. They give enough money to feed a family. This gift is called zakat-w-fitr.