Estonian muslims celebrate Eid
The tiny Muslim community in Estonia celebrated the Eid Al-Fitr, or breaking the fast festival on Tuesday. Eid marks the end of Ramadan. Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, and mark its end with a celebration.
Around 200 people of different nationalities and backgrounds gathered at the Islamic Center in Tallinn to offer Al-Eid prayers.
After the prayers, people hugged and exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the arrival of the annual feast. Cookies and sweets were served at the mosque, and everybody was in a high mood.
“I'm so happy to see these people here today. You can see people from different countries are here to celebrate Eid,” Abdulkarim Barake, the chairman of the Islamic Center, told ERR News.
“Muslims from other Estonian cities came here today for the Eid prayers as well, but around 90% of people here are from Tallinn,” he added.
While Muslims in Turkey and European countries marked the end of Ramadan on Tuesday, most Muslim countries will start their Eid festivities only on Wednesday, as tradition still requires the sighting of a slender crescent moon by the naked eye or through a telescope for the new Islamic lunar month to be confirmed.
Many Muslims, including those in Europe and Turkey, however, argue that in the light of current scientific progress, it should be left to astronomers to decide, as they can project whether or not a new moon had risen.
Eid Al-Fitr is one of the two main religious holidays in the Muslim world. On the two occasions, Muslims wear their finest clothes, adorn their houses, give treats to children, and visit friends and family members.
Muslims don’t fast on the day of Eid, as it is a day of celebration and getting together with family and friends.
Editor: Editor: Dario Cavegn