Eid al-Fitr, or the holiday of Conversation, is known among the Turkic-Muslim peoples of Russia as Eid al-Bairam. Among other Muslim peoples, it is called Eid Ramadan, Sheker Bayram (in Turkish - the Holiday of sweets) and Eid al-Sagir (Small holiday). It is called "small" in contrast to the "big" holiday of the Sacrifice.
The "small" holiday begins after the end of the fast in the month of Ramadan, which lasts 30 days. It was in this month that the Koran was revealed to the Muslims. During Ramadan, no drinking, no eating, no entertainment is allowed all day until sunset. You cannot commit wicked deeds, speak evil. It is forbidden to dip your head in water and even take medications inside. The word ramadan means to burn. This month, when fasting is observed, sins are “burned up” and the doors of paradise are opened for everyone. Every day is dedicated to prayer, reading the Koran and work.
Open neglect and violation of the rules of the fast is considered sacrilege and an offense and is punished in accordance with the laws of each individual Muslim country. In Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Sudan, Libya, where criminal and civil law are based on Sharia law, fasting is controlled by the police. Violators can be arrested. Only the sick, the elderly, soldiers participating in hostilities, and people in captivity are exempt from the post.
Eid al-Adha begins on the first day of the next month of Shawval. It lasts 3-4 days, which are non-working in Muslim countries. Although it is considered "small", traditionally Eid al-Adha is celebrated on an even larger scale. People rejoice at the end of a difficult and long fast. On this day, the poor and orphans are given "the alms of the completion of the fast."
On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, an hour after sunrise, the festive prayer Salat al-Fitr is read. It consists of two rak'ahs with additional takbirs (ritual proclamation of the formula "Allah Akbar") and a sermon (usually about merciful alms). The call to prayer is not announced. The rest of the prayers on these days are performed at a general meeting of believers between sunrise and noon.
A Muslim going to Eid Prayer must first take a complete bath and then put on new clothes. Then he hurries to the festive meeting of believers in the mosque. The gathering of believers (ummah) can have a large number of people (the presence of children and women at the Eid prayer is highly desirable), besides, mosques are trying to gather as many Muslims as possible in the ummah.
After the prayer, mutual congratulations and wishes of a happy celebration follow; then the Muslims go to visit their relatives and friends.
At noon, the main plentiful meal begins, the table is laden with food - and it is not surprising, because this is the first daily meal in the past month.
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In the afternoon, Muslims visit cemeteries to commemorate deceased loved ones and sit at their graves. This is considered very important, for the spirits of the dead visit the homes of their loved ones on the days of Eid al-Fitr and we must pay tribute to them.
On these days, relatives, if possible, need to stick together, to rally even more.
The faithful spend the rest of the holiday in amusements: all kinds of fairs, street performances, music sounds, people dance and sing. The holiday ends late at night.
If a person has not paid zakat - a mandatory tax in favor of needy Muslims, he must do it before the first prayer of 1 shawval, with which the holiday of breaking the fast begins.
Trading conscience in the face of pale poverty, Do not rash your gifts with a calculating hand:
Full bounty is pleasing to heaven.
On the day of the terrible judgment, like a fat field, O prosperous sower.
She will reward the story of your labors.
But if, having regretted the labors of earthly gains, Handing over to the beggar a meager alms, You squeeze your envious hand
Know: all your gifts are like a dusty handful, That heavy rain washes off the stone, Disappear, the Lord rejected tribute.
- (A. Pushkin)
The main holiday of the year in Malaysia
In Malaysia, the fast of the month of Ramadan ends with the main celebration of the year - the Break Holiday (Hari Raya Puasa), which falls on the 1st day of the 10th month according to the Arabic calendar, the month of Shawal (another name for the holiday is Idl Fitri (Eid al-Fitr)). Hari Raya Puasa - the holiday of breaking the fast after Lent and the birth of a new moon - is equivalent to the Chinese New Year. The birth of a new moon on the last night of fasting, the night that Muslims consider "blessed" is preceded by the ceremony of its "meeting": they look out for the moon in the sky, catch its reflection in the water, praising Allah. With the appearance of the moon in the sky, the air literally explodes from the beat of drums and the crackle of firecrackers; general jubilation reigns. Moreover, the 1st day of the 10th month, the month of Shawal, is celebrated not only by the Malays, but also by all Indonesians, regardless of their religious affiliation:in Indonesia, this is the most massive and joyful national holiday.
With the birth of a new moon, the ban on food and drink is canceled, everyone happily indulges in fun, exchange gifts, congratulate each other. Desires of happiness and well-being are heard everywhere. As the sun rises, crowds of people head to the mosque for prayer; at the end of the prayer service, dressed in the best clothes, they go to visit, make visits to cemeteries, and visit relatives. The first day of the month of Shawal is the day of the restoration of family ties, the most significant family holiday; those who work in cities return home to the village on this day; vacation is timed to this period; at the same time, there are holidays in schools and other educational institutions.
The celebration lasts three days. They prepare for it in advance, clean and decorate dwellings, update the furnishings if possible, buy new clothes, stock up on food. For the less well-off strata of the population of Hari Raya Puasa, there is an opportunity to eat their fill: rice, meat, flour are sold at the markets at discounted prices. The poor can rely on alms (food and clothing) these days at the expense of subsidies and private donations specially allocated by the government, as well as at the expense of the taxes of zakat and raah, obligatory for the possessing Muslims.
In former times, on the first day of the month of Shawal, a ruler appeared before the people, royal regalia were carried, which rumor endowed with miraculous power, rice was distributed to the crowd. However, all this gradually disappeared from the practice of celebrating the Malay New Year, although even now in some states of Malaysia the sultan exhibits a palace gamelan or the local administration rents a hadro orchestra.
In the villages, preparations for a festive feast begin already in the last week of Ramadan: invitations are sent out, festive treats are prepared in the form of traditional sweets dodol and ketupat dishes, meat is dried.
Three days before the start of the festival, women gather to prepare a festive table: tinder spices, peel coconuts and vegetables. The day before the start of the celebration, meat and fish dishes are prepared, people are appointed to deliver water, wash dishes, etc. Rice, as a rule, is brought with the participants of the festival and prepared on the same day, and not in advance. Up to several hundred people may appear at the celebration, and everyone will be fed, "will find joy in fellowship with each other."
The main holiday of the year, the most significant family holiday, cannot be complete without dancing and music. The most favorite dances are ronggeng, gambong and especially the joget, during which the dancer summons a partner from the audience. Anyone can take part in the general menari dance without waiting for a special invitation. The high and sophisticated culture of the Malays, which has absorbed the Indo-Javanese traditions, is evidenced by the ancient dances that have survived to this day in a number of regions, which were usually performed at the courts of the Sultan by professional dancers. The main musical instruments are the drum, tambourines, gongs and various types of xylophones, as well as various wind instruments (such as clarinet and flute).
Theatrical performances of bork and shadow theater, bersilat wrestling, ball games, chess, checkers are very popular on holidays (the Malays have their own version of the drafts game, in which the kings move not diagonally, but in a straight line). Gambling cockfighting and cricketfighting are widespread.
Especially popular, and especially among children and adolescents, is the launching and wrestling of kites in the rice fields freed after the harvest. Artfully painted, varied kites, flagships of the dry season and heralds of the northeast monsoon are gambling deals. To win, they often resort to various tricks, for example, they glue over the tail section or the rope of a kite with crushed glass, which can "injure" a paper opponent. Saber fights, spinning top competitions, sailing and rowing boat races are held with the same passion.
From the book: "100 Great Holidays". Elena Olegovna Chekulaeva