Eid Mubarak, Brooklyn!
Eid al-Fitr is the three-day holiday that celebrates the conclusion of Ramadan — the holy month of spiritual introspection, generosity and family time during which many Muslims will abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
The celebration of Eid al-Fitr usually lasts for three days and begins with the sighting of the new moon. This year, Eid al-Fitr will begin at sundown on Friday, March 20.
On the morning of the first day, Muslims gather for a special prayer known as Salat al-Eid. After the prayer, families and friends come together to share a festive meal, exchange gifts and greetings.
The holiday revolves around the theme of togetherness, happiness and acts of charity and kindness. It is a time for Muslims to express their gratitude to God for giving them the strength and perseverance to complete the month-long fast. Eid is also a time for Muslims to come together in solidarity, reflect on the blessings of the past month and look forward to the opportunities and challenges of the year ahead.
Many people will get new clothes for the special occasion, as every person wants to look and feel their best. Presents are also exchanged during this holiday and little kids receive special gifts called Eidi — usually money and toys — from the grown-ups in their lives.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, was at the Prospect Park Parade Grounds on Friday for morning prayers organized by the Brooklyn Islamic Center.
"I know that many woke up early this morning to decorate your homes with ornaments, [and] to fill envelopes for your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. And it is a beautiful sight today to see everyone dressed in their Eid best," Mamdani said. "I stand here before you as our city's first-ever Muslim mayor. And when I reflect on the past 30 days of suhoors and iftars, when I think of fasting alongside the people of our incredible city, I am filled, frankly, with a deep gratitude and a renewed love for this place that we call home. It has been one of my great honors to spend this past Ramadan as your mayor."
The mayor said he was reminded of verse five of Surah Ash-Sharh, for indeed with hardship, there will be ease.
"There is hardship to be sure, but this hardship also blossoms in beautiful solidarity," he said. "That is where I have found ease, and where I know so many of you find it as well."
Mamdani said he was reflecting on teachers and union leader who opens up their classroom to Muslim colleagues to pray, the Palestinian New Yorkers who work to deliver aid and Eid gifts to their families in Gaza and the West Bank, and the Imams who built thriving congregations, initially from the beginnings in their brownstone basements.
"And the beauty of this solidarity is that it is not limited to any one particular set of people, but it is extended to New Yorkers across this city," Mamdani said. "For the beauty of Ramadan is that we break fast not by asking the person next to us of their name or their faith, but simply by asking if they are hungry. And I think of the many Muslim city workers who commute long hours and work even longer shifts, breaking fast alone so that 8.5 million people in this city may live a cleaner, healthier, safer life."
The holiday was marked as an official New York City public school holiday in 2016. Public schools were closed on Friday.
Happy Eid al-Fitr, Brooklyn!
