Kenyans Wait as other nations celebrate Eid Al Fitr 2019

Kenya’s Chief Kadhi Shariff Ahmad Muhdhar says Shawwal crescent marking the end of Ramadhan hasn’t been sighted hence Al Fitr will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 5, 2019.

The festivals and prayers that mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan has been slated for Tuesday, June 4 across most parts of Africa and the world.

Mali was the first country to observe the Eid after the new moon was sighted in the locality. The government subsequently declared Tuesday a national holiday to enable the Muslims to celebrate this day.

When is Eid al-Fitr 2019 and how is it observed?

The following African countries had also announced June 4 as Eid Day – Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, Egypt and other African countries that have traditionally relied on Saudi’s announcement.

Saudi’s Supreme Court announced the Eid day after reports had widely circulated that the moon had been sighted in an area.

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, also declared the same along with other countries in the Gulf region and declared seven days holiday.

Pakistan, India, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and others have all declared Tuesday for the Eid as has most countries across Europe and the Americas.

First Eid falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month that comes after Ramadan. At the end of the 29 or 30 days of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr which literally means “festival of breaking the fast” in Arabic.

On the day, Muslims attend a special prayer in the morning at outdoor locations or mosques. The prayer consists of a sermon followed by the short congregational prayer.

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After the prayer, they visit friends and relatives, give gifts especially to children, and make phone calls to distant relatives to exchange greetings of “Eid Mubarak” or “Blessed Eid”.

 

EID MUBARAK!

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