What is Eid al-Fitr and how do Muslims celebrate it? 6 questions answered
EDITOR’S NOTE: Muslims all over the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, one of the religion’s principal festivals. In July, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Adha. Ken Chitwood, a scholar of global Islam, explains the two Islamic festivals. Author KEN CHITWOOD, Lecturer, Concordia College New York | Journalist-fellow, USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, Concordia College New York 1. What is Eid? Eid literally means a “festival” or “feast” in Arabic. There are two major eids in the Islamic calendar per year – Eid al-Fitr earlier in the year and Eid al-Adha later. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day-long festival and is…