Saudi Arabia says Eid al-Fitr starts Friday
A person checks a telescope while searching for the new crescent moon to mark the start of Eid al-Fitr, at the end of Islam's holy month of Ramadan, near the Dome of the Rock shrine at the Aqsa mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem on April 20, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
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"Tomorrow, Friday, is the first day of Eid al-Fitr for this year," with Thursday the last day of Ramadan, the official Saudi Press Agency said on its Twitter account citing a royal court statement.
The timing of Eid al-Fitr is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, in accordance with the Muslim lunar calendar.
The holiday is normally celebrated with family gatherings.
The daytime fasting month of Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam.
Observant Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk, and traditionally gather with family and friends to break their fast in the evening.
It is also a time of prayers, with the faithful converging in large numbers at mosques, especially at night.
Fasting is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, home of the holiest shrines in Islam in Mecca and Medina.
Saudis are expected to observe a four-day holiday for Eid al-Fitr.
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