Ramadan: Muslims celebrate Eid around the world Published duration 15 June 2018 Related Topics Eid al-Fitr

A look at the festival of Eid al-Fitr, as Muslims around the world mark the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

image copyright Getty Images image caption A woman in the Philippines attends prayers in a public park to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in Manila

Eid al-Fitr is "the feast of the breaking of the fast" that begins when the moon rises on the final day of Ramadan.

About 1.6 billion Muslims across the world marked the festival this year.

image copyright AFP image caption Muslims pray at the Mevlana mosque in Rotterdam, Netherlands

Ramadan lasts between 29 and 30 days, with the exact dates varying from one year to the next, based on the lunar calendar.

The timing of Eid can vary from country to country and community to community, with some following the moonrise in Mecca, and others using local sightings.

image copyright EPA image caption Eid al-Fitr celebrations at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in Banda Aceh, Indonesia

image copyright AFP image caption An embrace at the Shah-e Do Shamshira mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan

image copyright EPA image caption This Eid has been even more poignant in Afghanistan as the Taliban announced a ceasefire for the celebration

image copyright AFP image caption Somali Muslims at the Jamacadaha stadium in Mogadishu

image copyright Reuters image caption Prayers at the Sir Ali Muslim Club Ground in Nairobi, Kenya

image copyright Reuters image caption People arrive for prayers in Small Heath Park in Birmingham, UK

image copyright EPA image caption Al Ameen Mosque in Beirut, Lebanon

image copyright EPA image caption A boy checks himself in a mirror as he buys prayer caps in Jammu, in Indian-administered Kashmir

Eid is marked with a special set of prayers on the first morning of the festival, followed by the first daylight meal in a month, usually shared with friends and family. Many return to their family homes to celebrate.

A vast array of sweet dishes and treats are prepared and consumed.

image copyright AFP image caption Iraqis prepare pastries for the festival at a shop in the capital, Baghdad

image copyright AFP image caption Bangladeshis cram onto a train as they travel back home to be with their families for the celebration

image copyright EPA image caption At a market in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, a woman prepares ketupat, a type of rice dumpling packaged in palm leaves

A second Eid festival - Eid al-Adha, which means "feast of the sacrifice" - is celebrated just over two months after Eid al-Fitr, at the same time as many Muslims perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

image copyright EPA image caption A man in Peshawar, Pakistan, shops for new clothes for the celebrations

"Eid Mubarak" is a greeting used during the festival - Eid means "celebration" and Mubarak "blessed".

image copyright Reuters image caption A vendor sells sweets as Palestinians shop in a market in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip