Eid al-Fitr

On the evening of April 9 and through April 10, millions of Muslims worldwide are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, a month-long period of fasting. During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day as a way to practice self-discipline and honor the month in which they believe the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Mohammad. After Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr is celebrated with friends and family and typically involves feasts and gatherings.

Senior Tiba Altower is among those who honor the Islamic holiday, visiting the mosque in the morning to pray before enjoying the day with her family. "My favorite part about the holiday is the closeness that you feel when your friends and family are together," said Altower. "When you go pray, it's a whole community of different people coming together for the same thing."

Photos Courtesy of Tiba Altower

In order to prepare for the event, Altower baked traditional Eid sweets and bought special dresses for the occasion. "I would describe Eid as a warm get together of one's community and family," she said, explaining that Eid is similar to other well known celebrations. "When it comes to events throughout the day, it's basically the same as any other holiday people are familiar with, in the sense that it revolves around family and getting together as a community."

Altower also stressed the importance of celebrating a holiday such as Eid. "It is a religious reminder to be grateful for all that you have," she said, "and to make sure that the good habits that you developed during the month of Ramadan are yearly habits that outlive the month."

Story by Lily Saylor