MUSLIMS in Pembrokeshire are celebrating the end of their holy month of fasting, Ramadan, with the two day Eid Al-Fitr festival.
Members of the local Islamic community gathered at the Hamad Bin Khalifa Islamic centre in Milford Haven on Monday morning (0930 HRS, May 2) to share food and socialise.
Eid al-Fitr is a time of official receptions and private visits, when friends greet one another, presents are given, new clothes are worn, and the graves of relatives are visited.
Herald Editor Tom Sinclair said: “I was grateful to receive an invitation from the Manager of the Hamad Bin Khalifa Islamic centre in Milford Haven this morning to participate in the celebration of the end-of-Ramadan or Eid Al-Fitr.
“Lots of lovely food and even Martin Mcgeown’s ice cream van. They are all hard working in the local area and run takeaways, shops, barber shops – there’s even care home workers, and a pharmacist:- all looked absolutely delighted to end their month of fasting.
“Well done guys I couldn’t have done it! Eid Mubarak to you all!”
What is Eid?
Maswood Ahmed, a member of the Muslim Council of Britain, says that “Eid is a time of celebration after accomplishing one of the most important religious duties: fasting during the month of Ramadan”. Lots of people celebrate this by spending time exchanging gifts and visiting friends and family.
He adds that you shouldn’t be surprised if you see lots of people hugging in the street as part of Eid celebrations. Men will hug other men as a sign of friendship, and women will do the same with fellow women: “If you go out on the street now, strangers, anybody they come across they’ll hug them… The whole idea is that whoever you meet, you try and create a feeling of good will. Any feeling of animosity is put aside, at least for one day!”
While there are lots of things that everyone will do at Eid, with approximately 2 billion Muslims across the globe, it’s not surprising that people can have some different ways of celebrating this holy festival.
