Eid ul-Fitr in (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh)
Eid ul-Fitr in South Asia (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh)
At the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, in which the Muslims are asked to observe fasting from dawn to dusk and do extra prayers and observe religious values rigidly, the Muslims celebrate the sighting of the new moon (start of the new Muslim month). In Bangladesh,India and Pakistan, the night before Eid is called Chand Raat, or night of the moon. People visits bazaars and shopping malls, with their families and children, for last momemts Eid shopping. Women, especially young girls, often paint each others' hands with traditional "henna" also called "mehendi" and wear colourful bangles.
The popular way of greeting in Bangladesh, India & Pakistan during celebration of this festival is to say Eid Mubarak to others.Children are encouraged to meet and greet the elders. In exchange of this they also expect to obtain some cash money, called Eidi, from the elders.
On the morning of Eid ul-Fitr, after taking a fresh bath, every Muslim is encouraged to wear new clothes, if they can afford so. Alternatively, they may wear clean washed clothes.Men and boys go to mosque or open fields called Eidgah for special Eid prayers, thanking God for enabling a Muslim to observe the holy month meaningfully.The Muslims are ordained to pay Zakat al-Fitr (special charity money) or fitra to the poor and needy before the Eid prayer, so that they can also join others to celebrate the Eid.
After the prayers, the congregation is dispersed and the Muslims meet and greet each other including family members, children, elders, friends and neighbours.
Some Muslims especially go to graveyards to pray for the salvation of the departed soul.Usually, children visit elder relatives and neighbours to pay respects and greetings.
One of the special dishes in India, Pakistan and Fiji is savayya, a dish of fine, toasted vermicelli noodles [4]. In Bangladesh, savayya is called shemai, and is an integral item of Eid dishes.
After meeting the friends and relatives, many people go for attending parties, feasts, special carnivals and festivities in the parks (with picnics, fireworks, etc.). In Bangladesh and Pakistan, many bazaars, malls, and restaurants witness huge crowd & high attendance during this principal muslim festival.
Some people also avail this opportunity to distribute Zakat, the obligatory tax on ones wealth, to the needy.
In this way, the Muslims of South Asia celebrate their Eid ul-Fitr in festive mood by thanking Almighty and bringing their families, friends and the poor and needy people closer in a praiseworthy eagalitarian manner.
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