Eid al-Fitr is being celebrated by Muslims around the world this weekend as Ramadan comes to an end.
This year’s festivities will begin on Sunday (May 24) at the end of the Ramadan, the four weeks of fasting, prayers and charitable acts which help celebrate Muhammad receiving the Quran.
But this is the first of two Eid celebrations in the Islamic calendar - the other being Eid al-Adha - and it’s important not to confuse the two.
Here, we explain the significance of both festivals, what they mean, what they celebrate and how people mark them.
What is Eid al-Fitr?
Eid al-Fitr comes first in the Islamic calendar, and is known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”.
After a month of fasting during the hours of daylight, the festival includes a huge meal which begins after sunset on the final day of Ramadan.
Muslims should also pay money to the poor before Eid prayers can commence, in an act called Zakut-ul-fitr.
During the celebrations they traditionally wear their best clothes, feast together as a family and give gifts or money to children.
What is Eid al-Adha?
Two months after the conclusion of Ramadan comes Eid al-Adha, known as the Festival of the Sacrifice.
It takes place during Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islami lunar calendar to commemorate the story of the prophet Ibrahim.
According to tradition Ibrahaim agreed to an order from Allah to sacrifice his eldest son and made all the necessary preparations, only to find his son had been replaced by a lamb when the moment of sacrifice came.
By agreeing and being willing to sacrifice his son - the dearest person in his life - Ibrahaim proved his love for Allah was unsurpassed, meaning he’d passed the test and his son was spared.
This year’s Eid al-Adha festival is due to take place from July 30-August 3 and will again see Muslims put on their best clothes to feast with family and friends - depending on social distancing rules.
Gifts are exchanged and prayers are said to commemorate Eid al-Adha.
In some countries animals are sacrificed in homage with the meat split into three parts; one part going to relatives, another to those in need and the final part kept at home.
