Rabat – Ramadan is drawing to a close, with less than a week remaining until Eid Al Fitr, which marks the end of a month-long period of fasting.
The end of Ramadan also marks a new and tenth month in the Hijri year of the Islamic calendar, called Shawwal.
As anticipated celebrations are around the corner, Muslims around the world are already looking to astronomy calculations to determine the Eid Al Fitr date.
Converging prediction reports suggest that Eid Al Fitr is expected on April 10 in many countries, including in the Gulf Middle East, and North Africa region.
Specifically, the date is predicted in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, UAE, and Qatar, among others.
Astronomers believe that the moon for Shawwal will not be visible in the evening of April 8, but will likely be seen before dawn on April 9.
“This means April 10, 2024, would mark the start of Shawwal, Eid Al Fitr, and the new lunar month. However, the official Eid date depends on actually spotting the moon,” according to outlet Gulf Business.
Many other sources expect Eid Al Fitr to be on April 10.
However, religious committees from different countries will seek the crescent moon for Eid Al Fitr early next week to determine the official date of the beginning of Shawwal.
If Eid is on April 10 in Morocco, the Kingdom will complete 29 days of Ramadan, while countries like Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries will fast 30 days.
This is because Ramadan started on March 11 in Morocco and several other countries, while it started on March 12 in Saudi Arabia and the majority of Gulf nations.
Eid Al Fitr customs differ from one country to another. The celebratory atmosphere, however, remains the same, with families exchanging visits and sharing tables full of diverse food and pastries for their first breakfast in normal morning hours after a month-long period of fasting.
Muslims also flock in millions to mosques to carry out Eid prayers.
