(CNN) More than one billion Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid al-Fitr this week, as the month-long Ramadan fast ends and the festivities begin. The celebrations mark a time when communities within the Muslim world come together.

A woman prays in a park during Eid al-Fitr celebrations in Manila, Philippines in 2018.

What is Eid al-Fitr?

One of the most important days for Muslims, the holiday is the "festival of breaking the fast."

Families and friends gather to show gratitude to Allah while celebrating the end of Ramadan, the four-week daytime fast that marks the month Muslims believe their Holy Book, the Quran, was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. During this period, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is one of the five Pillars of Islam, requiring prayer five times a day and generally encouraging a more reflective behavior.

Eid al-Fitr doesn't have any historical links; instead, the celebrations focus on the community and family, and a spirit of generosity is encouraged.

Worshippers in London celebrate by cutting a cake in 2018 as Ramadan ends and Eid al-Fitr begins.

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