Eid comes twice a year for us Muslims and to keep it simple they are both celebrations, hence the greeting “happy Eid” or “Eid Mubarak” which translates to “have a blessed Eid”.
The first Eid comes after the month of Ramadan which is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar and it is a period in time where we are encouraged to fast (no eating, drinking, smoking, basically no ingesting anything) for a whole month as well as to give charity where we can. The fasting is a practiced method of cleansing our souls/bodies and giving us a period of time to reflect, repent and to forgive. Abstaining from eating (generally from sun up to sundown), almost all other activities that is a privilege instead of a need (such as music and tv), allows us to empathise with those who are not as lucky as we are and thus, it encourages us (for a little while at least) to be grateful for what we have and not be bitter over what we lack. The purpose is to teach us patience and humility and to exercise restraint in order to achieve a closer relationship with Allah (God). Following the month of Ramadan, we have Eid al-Fitr which is also known as the “Feast of the Breaking of The Fast” is a period of celebration where we gather together to pray in the morning then visit family and friends for the next few days sharing our joy and handing out gifts to one another.
