The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA) today said Bay Area Muslims are preparing to celebrate the second Eid ul-Fitr (EED-al-FITTER) holiday amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tomorrow, May 13, the Muslim community in the Bay Area will celebrate the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan. Although Muslim communities normally gather in the thousands at local mosques for special prayers, feasts, and celebrations, mosques across America are maintaining COVID-19 pandemic safety guidelines according to local recommendations and mandates.
The Northern California Islamic Council is hosting a virtual unity Eid celebration which will begin at 6 p.m. and feature speakers from across the region.
During this holiday, Muslims greet each other by saying “Eid Mubarak” (EED-moo-BAR-ak), meaning “blessed Eid,” and “taqabbalallah ta’atakum,” or “may God accept your deeds.” Many communities are holding restricted and/or outdoor multicultural bazaars and other family activities following socially distanced prayers.
Eid ul-Fitr is the first of the two major Muslim holidays. The second holiday, Eid ul-Adha (EED-al-ODD-ha), comes near the end of the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.