Astronomy Data Says Saudi Arabia to Celebrate Eid Al Fitr on March 30
Rabat — Arab Times Online cited the Al Ojairi Scientific Center, which expects Eid Al Fitr to be on March 30 in Saudi Arabia.
Several reports expect March 30 to be the first month of Shawaal, the tenth month in the Islamic calendar marking the end of Ramadan.
The astronomy calculations are not the final announcements, as Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries will assign religious committees to sight the crescent moon for Eid Al Fitr in the coming weeks.
The Gulf country is already gearing up for Eid Al Fitr celebrations, and the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has already announced a four-day holiday.
Grazia Magazine said that 'considering Saudi Arabia's weekends fall on Friday and Saturday, the people of Saudi Arabia will get to enjoy a six-day break.'
Eid Al Fitr celebrations include morning prayers when citizens flock to mosques to carry out feast prayers.
The prayers consist of two rak'at, the iteration of prescribed movements performed by Muslims as part of salah or prayers.
There are also six additional takbirs (the Arabic phrase Allahu Akbar).
Following the mosque, families gather for their first-morning breakfast feast following a month of fasting from dawn to dusk.
During Eid Al Fitr, family visit exchanges are also common in the Arab world.
Saudi Arabia started fasting Ramadan on March 1 this year, along with the UAE and Qatar, among others.
In many other countries like Morocco, however, Ramadan started on March 2.
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